Duty
by Doctor.Uta
Summary: As a member of the Hyuuga clan, it was her duty to not bring any shame to the clan. As the bodyguard of Ootori Kyoya, it was duty to protect him at all costs. As a member of the Host Club, it was her duty to be... moe-tastic? What? KyoHina or KyoNata
1. Chapter 1

"So she is the one? Hinata, if my memory serves me correct." A push of a finger, glasses glinting calculatingly in the light; underneath, a pair of onyx orbs stare apathetically. "How long has it been, Hinata-san, since we last met? Three, four years?"

There was no response. The girl in question was too engrossed with the details of the floor, her hands subtly clenching the fabric of her kimono- it was much too obvious that she didn't want to be here, sitting her father's office for the, most likely, last time. That is, if the arrangements were to go swimmingly. And they most definitely would- her father wouldn't want it any other way- much to her fortune? Misfortune? She really can't tell anymore.

Her response were a few seconds late, a slight nod of the head and a diminutive whisper of "Four years," as she inwardly berated herself for being so rude to her guest. And not just any guest, either.

"Hmm? Again, please, for I have yet to hear you clearly." Is he enjoying this?

"Four years, Ootori-san."

"Ah, I see. And how have you been since… then?" She really doesn't like this man.

"O-Ok." Damn it, it has taken two years to get rid of that annoying speech impediment. She will _not_ show weakness to this man, of all people. Especially not with her father present.

Speaking of her father, Hiashi has been quiet throughout this little negotiation. It seems he has decided to end his silence with the clearing of his throat- a sign for him to take charge of this conversation now. His deep voice rang with authority. "You are well aware of our deal, Ootori-san. Have you finally come to consummate it, after all these years?"

"Yes, now seems an ideal time."

Hiashi nodded his head in understanding, and turned his head towards his daughter, who sat timidly. Other than her answer to Ootori's question, she has stayed quiet as they discuss her future- her destiny that has been decided four years ago.

"Hinata-san,"

Abruptly, her head had whipped up to the source of the noise. Ootori Yoshio inspected her thoroughly, from the top of her indigo-colored head to her sock-covered toes folded underneath her. A waterfall of the midnight sky cascaded down her shoulders, coupled with her star-bright pearls of pupil-less eyes. Her pale, calloused hands atop her lap contrasted greatly with her kimono of fiery reds and radiant yellows. Although she has a small frame, even with his average human capabilities, he can sense the power within her, locked deep within. _'Yes,'_ he thought, _'she will do just fine.'_

"I do not know whether or not you are aware of deal made the last time I met you. If not, I will remind you- in return for my assistance before, you will come with me and attend Ouran High School to guard my third son, Kyoya."

Her eyes widened marginally, although she should have anticipated this for a long time now. The prospect of leaving her home for the first time for the _outside _world astonished her. Barely anyone leaves for the civilian world for an extended amount of time- those that do are assigned critical missions meant for ANBU. She gulped.

"I a-agree to your terms, Ootori-san."

He nodded. And the deal was sealed.

* * *

><p>Now, she stands demurely in civilian garb, which somewhat reminded her of her old training outfit- a light lavender tank top underneath a gray hoodie. However, these pants- to her understanding, they were called skinny jeans?- are unbearably tight. How can she defend her charge in these movement restricting clothing? Well, at least she was offered these comfortable shoes- Converse, if she remembered correctly- that were okay for running, although they would never hold a candle compared to her old sandals. She will <em>never <em>understand these non-ninjas.

Done criticizing her attire, Hinata chose to survey the room, a guest room of the Ootori estate that she will reside in. It was rather plain-and blindingly _white_. The walls were a bare white, her bedding were white as well as the queen-sized bed it was laying on, located at the right corner of her room. The drawer across from the bed was white, the nightstand was white, and the curtains of the window next to her bed was- guess what?- white. She almost had enough of that color, having seen it everyday of her life in the clan.

Well, with the amount of time she will spend here, this room is _bound_ to have a splash- maybe a tsunami- of color.

A knock on the white, _white _door startled her out of her reverie, and she replied with a weak "Come in." A maid came in, with a stoic visage, informed her that Ootori-san has called her to his office and left. Hinata, not wanting to displease her employer, left immediately for the office. However, the moment she stepped out of the door, she recalls that she has _no idea _where the office is. Berating her for her stupidity, she tried to think of way to get there. She could activate her Byakugan to find her way there, but... how will any of civilians react to her? It's not every day that you see a 17 year old girl with bulging veins surrounding lavender eyes without pupils. Nope, she's not going to risk that. As she pondered solutions to her problem, an unsuspecting hand clamped down on her shoulder. She turned to see the owner of said hand.

Kyoya was rather bored, having finished his homework and financial calculations of the host club beforehand, and decided to head to the kitchen for a glass of water. Now, he could have asked any maid or servant to do it for him, but he didn't want to be sitting around waiting. On his way to the kitchen, he passed by some of the guest rooms. Now, this would have mattered very little to him, since he knows that no one uses any of them, but it seems he was wrong (although he would _never _admit to it). Standing in front of one of the guest room doors was a girl with her back turned to him, with long dark blue hair down to her middle of her back. It was such an interesting shade of blue that he couldn't tear his eyes away. He never seen hair that color before, was it dyed? _'It must be,' _ he concluded mentally, _'There is no way that that hair color is natural.'_

To prove that he was right, he decided to come a bit closer, quietly so that he wouldn't scare her away. Why he thought she would be scared, he had no idea. Probably it was her posture- it was a bit hunched, as if she was confused, and she fidgeted a little, kind of like a... bunny.

Okay, he is _really _scaring himself right now. He should probably just get this over with.

He was lucky that he was a full head taller than her, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to determine whether or not her hair was natural- he could tell if there were any tints of blue on the scalp shown barely at the center of her head. To his surprise, there were no signs of any dye used, and, he can't _believe_ that he noticed this, she smelled of nature. The faint scent of trees was present, along with a hint of flowers.

For some reason, he really wanted to see her face, maybe to confirm that she actually existed, that he _wasn't _going crazy. So he placed his hand on her shoulder, in response she turned to see him and gasped. He had to hold in his urge to gasp, as he set his gaze on those illuminating pearl, _pupil-less _eyes- and he stresses the fact that she _had no pupils_ because he's not sure if she's wearing contacts, or he really _did _go crazy, maybe from the lack of sleep or from hanging around those _idiots_ all the time. Most likely the latter. Continuing his observations, she wore, what he deemed, commoner clothing- a gray hoodie zipped up all the way, a pair of skinny jeans- _'Do NOT,' _he furiously pounded into his head, _'I repeat, do NOT think about how good her legs look in those jeans.'_- and black Converse. Despite how plain her clothing is, he can't help but think how... _stunning _she looks just by standing there, her mouth still slightly agape from her gasp.

She gasped, she really couldn't help herself. She would have scolded herself for not being aware of her surroundings, and being startled by a _civilian_ of all people, but right now, she's too occupied by the fact that the person in front of her, who _still_ has a hand on her shoulder, was, for a lack of better words... _hot_. His dark hair was neatly combed, although a few rebellious strands had insisted on staying up, and the color matched his, she can't believe she's using this word to describe a _guy_, _beautiful _eyes, which were hidden underneath glasses. His frame was quite lean, not all that lanky, and tall, towering over her 5' 3" body by at least half a foot. He wore a simple white- she twitched- long sleeved button up shirt, with the collar popped up the slightest bit and the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearm, and a pair of black slacks, along with a pair of house slippers. A uniform? Maybe for the school she was supposed to attend- Ouran, was it? She hopes that she will have a uniform like that, it looks very maneuverable.

_'WAIT A MINUTE!_'

Ouran...

Glasses...

Dark eyes...

Her eyes widened, and she gasped again, "Oh no, my meeting with Ootori-san! I'm late! Oh, what do I do, I don't know where his office is and..." she went on and on, pacing frantically, after removing the hand from her shoulder, as she worried over her plight. It seems that she completely forgot about the attractive male standing not even 5 feet away.

Said attractive male was blinked owlishly, before regaining his composure. A quiet sigh, a push of finger and his glasses glinting in the light, he's ready to go. His objective: calm the strange girl down, and find out what she needs from his father. So, once again, he placed his hand on her shoulder and hoped to calm her down. She jumped a bit, and with a mousy squeak, faced him again, and gasped. Huh, déjà vu. She proceeded to utter apologies at a fast pace, something about "wasting his time," or along those lines. He cleared his throat to get her attention, and she ceased her talking, staring guiltily, which is weird seeing as she did nothing wrong. What a strange girl.

"From my understanding, you are attending a meeting with my father, but do not know where to go." She nodded, and with that, he asked, "Then, do you wish for me to show you the way?"

"Oh! But I do not want to be a burden-"

"Nonsense, why would I leave a lady like you lost? Now come." He outstretched his hand, and was not disappointed, as she placed her smaller, more calloused hand in his. And he proceeded to lead the way.

The walk was awkwardly silent, even though Kyoya had many questions he wanted answered: Why does her hands have callouses? What is she doing here? Is she a commoner? If so, why is she meeting his_ father_? Is her eyes real or is she wearing contacts? Why is her hair such a unique color? But really, all of the questions boiled down into this very important one: **_Who is_ _she?_**

However, he never got to ask that very important question, as they finally approached the doors to his father's office. Reluctantly- why so reluctant?- he removed his hand from hers, and nodded politely as she offered her gratitude. Funny, she never squealed or even roused a conversation with him, which is what he expected from any girl that spends time with him. Even Haruhi, the least feminine female he met, would have at least started a general conversation. But no, she remained at his side silent, and from the few glances at her throughout the walk, blushing prettily. He suspected that she was _really _shy.

He opened the door and let her enter first, like the gentleman he was, and followed her inside. Only because he was really curious, it had nothing to do with worrying about how she would do against his father. Speaking of his father, he turned to his father as he observed him and the girl standing next to him.

"Ah, Hinata-san. I take it that you had some trouble making it here, if my son were to accompany you." Ah, so her name was Hinata? Sunflower, or was it sunny place? He turned his gaze to her, and looked into her eyes, radiantly shining pearl under the lighting. _'Yes,' _he admitted, _'the name suits her either way.'_

_'Ah, I didn't know he was Kyoya! Oh, I must have been so rude, to my charge, no less! Hinata, you dolt!' _Her mind was a mess, from her first meeting with Kyoya to now meeting his father. What an embarrassment! _'Play it cool. Do NOT show how much of a mess you are right now!' _"Yes, Ootori-san. I was not informed of where your office was, and was led here by your son, Kyoya." _'So far, so good!'_

Yoshio nodded, and turned to his third son, who has yet to leave. Well, he might as well kill two birds with one stone. "Kyoya,"

"Yes, father?"

"This is Hyuuga Hinata-san. Her father, Hiashi-san, is... an acquaintance of mine, and he wishes for Hinata-san to enroll into Ouran. However, they live very far away from here, and Hiashi-san has business to attend to. So I offered to let her live with us until she graduates. Now I believe you are 17, correct?"

"Yes, Ootori-san."

"Good. With your talents, you can gain a scholarship and attend the same class as my son. Will there be any problems?"

"No, Ootori-san."

He nodded, and mentally patted himself on the back for making up a plausible story. He couldn't just go out and say she was a _ninja_, for Kami's sake. Think of what the media will say! Done with his self-congratulations, he turned to his son once more. "Kyoya, please do show Hinata-san around once she goes to Ouran tomorrow morning."

He nodded. "Of course, father."

"Good. Now, I believe it is time for dinner. You two are dismissed."

Hinata bowed and was ushered out of the office by Kyoya's hand on her back. Soon, both left the office.

* * *

><p>Both teens stood awkwardly facing each other, not moving since exiting from the office. It was Kyoya who decided this has gone on long enough, and offered to escort her to the kitchen. In reply, she nodded, and followed him silently. Not wanting a repeat of the last time they walked together, he instigated the conversation. "Hyuuga-san, is it?"<p>

Strangely, she flinched at the mention of her surname and nodded. "Yes, Ootori-san."

A twitch. Now he understands the annoyance of being called by a surname, maybe she flinched because she did not want to think of her family? Probably. "Please, call me Kyoya." _'I will NOT be referred to as the same way as my father.'_

Another nod. "Then, please call me Hinata, Kyoya-san."

"Alright then, Hinata-san." Does he smell a friendship coming along?

Well, he's not the only one.

* * *

><p>...<p>

OwO

This is the longest chapter I have written! Oh wow! Well, want to tell me how much like/love my story? Want to point out some mistakes I made for the sake of bettering myself/this story? Want to say how much you hate this story/me? Then, you should review! Except for the third one, flames aren't welcome. Uh-uh. Nope.

For those of you who know me, I WILL try to update "I'll Watch Over You"! Just give some time... and a way to find inspiration. ^^;

- Failure-chan


	2. Chapter 2

A groan, a flutter of eyelashes, and the rustling of bedsheets. The room was illuminated by the barest hints of sunlight trickling from the covered window, the radiant orb of heat soon making its way to the sky.

Hinata was always one to rise with the sun, and her habit will not stop just because she is among civilians. She rose into a sitting position, still half-dazed. Today will be her first day at Ouran, where she will guard her charge, Kyoya, and attend the same class as his.

That actually shocked her out of her stupor. She will immerse herself with civilians, _non-ninjas_! She will enter a world completely different than the one she lived in; no more meeting up with the Rookie 9 for a meal at Ichiraku or at Yakinniku Q. She can't have any play dates with her adorable godson, Shinji, or have any training sessions with Kiba, Shino, or Neji. She won't see any of her friends at all! What was she thinking when she accepted this job- this is going to be hell! _'Oh, how will I get through this day, let alone repeat this six days a week for who knows how long!'_

She shook her head, as if letting all of her doubts fall out of her head. What would her father think if he saw her panicking like this, when the day barely even started! She will not let her foolishness bring any shame towards the clan. She is a shinobi- a strong kunoichi of Konoha. She can't let this long-term mission bring her down. Hey, maybe before she knows it, she will be back with all of her friends again! It'll be like the old times! She just have to stay strong.

With that in mind, Hinata turned to the side and set her feet gingerly onto the floor, curling her toes into the warm carpet, which were not at all like the frigid wooden floors of her room in Konoha. She stood up and walked to the other side of the room, next to her dresser, to look inside the closet- very easily hidden as the _white _door blended nicely into the _white _walls (She should ask Ootori-san for some paint later). Inside lays one dreaded abomination of clothing- a pale, puffy, yellow dress, consisting of a red ribbon and the Ouran symbol stitched into the left side of the breast area. It may have seemed an impossible concept to hate an inanimate object to Hinata, but right now, at this very moment, she understands completely- she hated this dress.

It looks very hard to move in- what IS that white stuff underneath, was it tulle or something like that?- as the skirt will get in the way of movement, and the shoes- do NOT get her started on those shoes. They are impractical and absolutely incapable of being used for running. How will she protect Kyoya this way? She sighed. Alas, she would have to follow the school guidelines in order to not stand out and alert any pursuers for her charge's life- even if it means wearing this gaudy dress. So without further ado, Hinata stripped of her pajamas and started to put on the dress. In the middle of putting on the dress, she paused, then reached inside the nearby dresser. Rummaging through, she finally found what she was looking for and took it out- a pair of shorts used for past summer training sessions. Unlike her dress, it was perfect for running and mobility. She slipped those on and then shimmied her way into the dress. There, at least she will have SOME dignity if the dress were to move up and about when she does anything to protect Kyoya, or when she enters a rather... ahem, awkward situation.

Hinata strolled to the window and moved the curtains away, determining the sun's position to know the time. She would have to guess around 5? 6? Either way, it's still too early for her and Kyoya to go to Ouran now. Nodding to herself, she decided to head to the kitchen and make a small breakfast, and a lunch for herself. Exiting her room she turned to her left and made her way to the kitchen.

She was really luck to come across Kyoya last night. He helped her find her way from her room to the kitchen and the office. Really, she didn't want to burden her charge, but he was so... nice. Back in Konoha, most of the ninja weren't so generous or helpful. Too many were hardened by the wars amongst other villages, and learned not to trust others willingly. And those that _were _nice usually were scarier than those that weren't- they were usually the ones with hidden motives- hidden, _horrible _motives. She shivered.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely stopped her feet in time, lest she would have missed her destination and end up completely lost. Pushing through the kitchen doors, she noticed that the kitchen was relatively empty, save for the one chef preparing a meager breakfast for himself. He looked up and nodded at her in greeting, and looked down before he could see a nod in return from her. Sighing, Hinata glanced around for the refrigerator and, once finding it, opened its large double doors to be met with a large array food and a blast of cold air. Quickly grabbing what she needed, she closed the door and laid the ingredients on the counter next to the fridge.

On the counter lay a few sheets of nori, some umeboshi, and maguro. After locating the bag of uncooked rice nearby, she started making her breakfast; some simple onigiri. Done assembling her breakfast, she found a container of green tea leaves and boiled a cup of water. Cooling it down, she set the cup next to her dish of onigiri, and, with a tiny "Itadakimasu," proceeded to eat. Then, once done, she went to wash her dishes, pondering on what to make for lunch. _'There's still some maguro left over, and I think I saw rice vinegar in the fridge. Maybe I can find the salt and sugar to make shari for some nigiri sushi.'_

So Hinata busied herself with her lunch.

* * *

><p>It was around the time when Kyoya usually woke up for a school. Despite his lack of sleep on the weekends, he always wake up approximately two hours before school begins, enough time for him to organize his things, take a shower, dress up, have breakfast, leave for school, and use his remaining time to prepare for the Host Club. Just another day in the ever glamorous life Ootori Kyoya.<p>

Oh, wait, it's _not _like any other day.

He has to escort a _girl_, and a very attractive one at that (stupid hormones), around Ouran, whose father just happens to be an acquaintance of his- Hyuuga Hiashi. Huh, that's funny. He was sure to memorize the name of every business associate of his father's, and know what type of business they run, their personal lives, everything. So how is it that this one man- just _one man_- was able to elude his watchful hawk eyes?

_'Well, then,' _He glanced at his glasses, which were sitting innocuously on the nightstand, but decided to leave them there, _'it seems that I have to brush up that list of father's associates. When I run the Ootori business, I'll have to know _everyone _that will work with me.'_

He left it at that as he took his leave to the bathroom. It's time for his shower.

* * *

><p><em>'There.' <em>A smile of accomplishment, accompanied by a sigh of relief- finally, her lunch is done.

Hinata glanced quickly at the clock behind, confirming that a lot of time passed and it is now nearing half past seven. More chefs and maids were inside the kitchen with her, they were bustling with activity, readying the breakfast for their employers. The maids rushed in and out to grab utensils and silverware, and she can't help but think how they remind her of the nurses and doctors in the hospital back in Konoha.

No- no thoughts about Konoha- _especially _about the hospital. Not one word brought much pain such as that one- not even her father's reprimands.

And that's saying something.

Refusing to dwell in depression, she left the kitchen for her room, the bento full of nigiri sushi in hand. On her way back, she came across Kyoya, who was leisurely strolling into the dining room, which is adjacent to the kitchen. Moments passed, and their eyes locked, onyx clashing with lavender- a battle to last for eternity but end in seconds.

It was she who ended the silent communication, her head turned away, and cheeks flushed a healthy shade of pink. She muttered a quiet "Good morning," then continued her way to her room, fast enough to miss the nod from Kyoya. He stared at her retreating back for a seconds, wondering what the hell just happened.

He will reiterate this: What a strange girl.

A subtle shrug of the shoulders, and Kyoya resumed his journey into the dining room. He will have to get her from her room later so they can leave for Ouran.

Her door was slammed back into place, and used as support as Hinata slumped against it, face still rosy from embarrassment. Why she is embarrassed, she has no idea. Then again, she's _always _this flustered. Most of the time, she blushed talking to Kiba- really, he has quite the dirty mind- or whenever Naruto was in close proximity- hell, she even _faints _when he's around. Her cheeks burn whenever she receives more attention than she prefers, or put in an uncomfortable position, which is pretty much _all the time_.

But what's so embarrassing about staring at someone else's face for god's sake! It was an innocent glance at his (HOT) face, and he just so happens to look at her at the same time. That's it- that was all there is. And yet, her heart raced, her cheeks are _still_ pink, and she can't stop thinking about his dark, wonderful, se-

_'HINATA, DON'T YOU EVEN GO THERE!'_

Really, what is wrong with her? She acted rude in front of her charge _again _and now she's thinking of him in a somewhat indecent indecent way? What a wonderful job she's doing right now. She really need to get her act together right now.

She will be attending school- which kind of excited her, since she hasn't gone to one in 5 years (although, she guesses the civilians wouldn't call her school an actual school since it teaches kids how to fight and use weapons, and doesn't focus on subjects like math)- full of people that may threaten Kyoya's life! She can't daydream!

With her resolve renewed, she vowed to never let anything distract her as she protects Kyoya.

_'Oh, I haven't prepared any of my materials, why are you scatterbrained?' _she mentally scolded herself, as she came across her brown bookbag. She stuffed her bento inside, along with some textbooks sitting on the nightstand and her pencils. Satisfied, she exited the room, bookbag at her side, and walked to the dining room, hoping to give a _proper_ greeting to Kyoya.

* * *

><p>Kyoya finished his breakfast as his father conversed, business being the matter at hand as always. He, however, was not all that focused on what his father is saying. Nope; his mind is distracted by a girl, of unbelievable hair color and even more unbelievable eyes. Yup- it's Hyuuga Hinata. Ever since her arrival, he can't <em>not <em>think of her- and it wasn't even that long! How is she, this _strange _girl, able to affect him this much? It doesn't make sense! And Kyoya _hates _it when things do not make sense.

He _will _figure out everything- her history, her secrets, everything about her will be revealed. Or his name isn't Ootori Kyoya.

"Hinata-san, how wonderful it is for you to join us."

Ah, how did that saying go? _"Speak of the devil and she shall appear."_

"Good morning Ootori-san, Kyoya-san." With a bow, she took her place at the table across from Kyoya.

"Do you want some breakfast, Hinata-san?"

"Ah, no Ootori-san. I already ate." She dared to take at glance at Kyoya, and then immediately put her head back down, fearing that her already reddening cheeks will be noticed by the Ootoris. Too bad that her fear has come true.

Kyoya saw the blush- a bright rubicund sure to be noticed by anyone that bothers to look at her- and he had to say, he wasn't all that surprised. Sure, he had girls in school fawning over him all the time, what with his good looks, but he doesn't think that's the reason- well, the main reason. He believes it has something to do with the weird morning greeting when he passed her by the hallway. She was red and skittish at that time, too, although he had no idea why. It was only eye contact that occurred between them before the hasty salutation and escape- what would be so significant about that?

"Kyoya," He eyed his third son expectantly. "The car should be waiting outside at this time. You may leave for school."

He stood up. "Yes father. Hinata-san, we're leaving for Ouran. Are you ready?"

She stood up as well. "Yes, Kyoya-san."

"Alright." He turned to Yoshio. "Goodbye father." After Hinata bowed, Kyoya led her outside, where a black, fancy car was waiting, a chauffeur bowing in the presence of his master, slightly confused about the girl with him. Said girl gawked wide eyed at the car, having never seen one before. Most journeys were made on foot, or on a boat if visiting the other villages. Kyoya cleared his throat, to get the attention of the curious Hinata next to him, which worked, as she whipped her head around to see him gesture towards the car. She took tentative steps towards this weird machine, and jumped the slightest bit when the chauffeur opened a door that leads inside? Weird.

She stepped inside, and immediately became paranoid. No wonder ninja never use these cars- they make anyone nervous! The small space- giving any ninja a sense of claustrophobia- the windows giving clear view of the outside from all angles, and vice versa- that makes them an open target! Oh, she'll _never _understand how civilians stand to be inside these moving traps!

Hinata noticed Kyoya about to step inside, and scooted down the leather seats to make room for him. Unlike her, he seemed perfectly fine inside a car. _'Of course he has, he probably rode in this car a million times already! Calm down already! You're going to be riding a car for a long time, get used to it!' _She took one, long, calming breath to ease her nerves. There, she was fine, although she can't help but squirm a bit when Kyoya started to stare at her when she took a breath. _'Oh, he must think you're weird, freaking out in a car!'_ In the midst of her thoughts, she did not noticed that the car was already in motion, nor did she notice the gargantuan pink building soon coming into her view. She did, however, notice when the car stopped and when Kyoya stood waiting for her to get out. She fumbled with the (blasted) seat belt and exited the car, much to her relief. Finally, no cramped spaces!

Kyoya tapped her shoulder, and moved his head towards the school, showing her which direction they're heading. She nodded and followed him as he walked towards Music Room 3. _'Wait, the Host Club,' _He groaned inwardly. _'How will they react to her? Oh __God, Tamaki and the twins... They will surely cause trouble.'_

Well, he'll just face the obstacle when it gets there, no need fretting over it now, since their meeting is inevitable.

* * *

><p>They were nearing the music room, and have yet to meet any other student. Most of them present at this time were probably tending to club business, much like Kyoya. Meanwhile, Hinata observed in awe. Never had she seen a <em>building<em>, let alone a _school_, this grand or... _pink_. God, there was so much pink in this school! She twitched. Civilians are so strange- first there was the unbearably tight jeans, then those metal, moving traps, and now huge, pink buildings!

Nothing can get weirder than this.

She noticed Kyoya coming to a stop to a room, and she read the sign saying "Music Room 3." Kyoya's a musician? Wow, she kind of expected him to be into business like his father. Huh, you learn something new everyday. She ponders the thought of what instrument he would play as they both entered the music room.

Well, this is strange. It's empty. She wondered where are all the instruments.

"Hinata-san, I believe I haven't informed you of this yet, which is a mistake on my part, since this will affect the daily routine. I am a part of a club, the Host Club, and I manage all the finances and plan the... activities, so to speak. I come to this school early, the reason why there are barely any students here, to put everything in place for the afternoon. The afternoons are when the Host Club open for business, and then close at a later time. Now you may wish to not join me on these afternoons and go home early, that is fine with me, but it is also fine for you to stay until Host Club hours are over, and we may leave together."

"Ah, I'll stay with you," _'This way, I can protect him during his club duties!'_ "But what's a ho-"

A loud slam of the double doors interrupted her, and at the entrance, an exuberant blonde (reminds her of someone...) with amethyst eyes lit with joy stands. He spots an annoyed Kyoya, not yet noticing the flabbergasted Hinata, and his grin threatens to slice his face in half. He jumped, in hopes of ensnaring "Mama" in a friendly hug.

"KYOYA~!" What he failed to notice midjump is that Kyoya sidestepped, and his trajectory led to the shocked-still Hinata instead of his intended target. She snapped out of her surprise just in time to let out a squeak before being sent to the floor, the force strong enough to overcome her inertia.

Kyoya sighed, although he was quite miffed that that _idiot _had to crash into _his guest_, of all things. God, what would she think of them now?

Ah, wait, it seems that the idiot- erm Suoh Tamaki, has finally realized the... predicament he caused. The predicament being a girl, on the ground, crushed by his body. Wait, it's a girl! Time to turn on the charm.

"Ah, sorry my lady! I have showcased such unsightly behavior. Forgive me, miss... why, I don't know your name! Are you a transfer student? Kyoya, you obviously spent some time together! Surely, you must know her name! Ooh, she could Haruhi! My daughter will finally have a girlfriend! Isn't that splendid, Mama?"

Hinata blinked. She stand corrected: now, nothing can get weirder than this.

Kyoya sighed again; this day just keeps getting _better _and _better_.

Not.

* * *

><p>Oh your God, I hoped I didn't BORE you to death with this chapter! sigh I would have actually went on to Hinata meeting the rest, but that would be a REALLY long chapter, and I don't want to bore you anymore than I did, so, at this very moment, I'm typing the next chapter.^^

I'm actually surprised this chapter went this long! It's even longer than the first one (I wasn't even sure I could do that) by a 1000 words!

Still with me (unbelievably)? Wanna tell me how awesome/good/meh/bad/DOWNRIGHT HORRIBLE this chapter was? Review! No flames though. Big no-no. OwO

Hasta luego!

- Failure-chan


	3. Chapter 3

Oh God. Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God- A GUY LANDED ON TOP OF HER! Why did he have to come barging into the room, ruin the conversation, and, the icing on the cake, _tackle her to the ground_? And now he's chatting happily with Kyoya- who he insistently call hims "Mama," what?- about her as if she's not even here! And before that, was he hitting on her? Come on, "my lady?" That kind of sweet-talk makes any ninja wary. So, it has been established:

She really doesn't trust this guy.

"So, Kyoya, care to tell me this lovely lady's name?" He was ecstatic! A new transfer student! And even more, she came in with Kyoya! He deduced in that oh so wonderful brain of his that they are well acquainted, meaning that she will probably visit the Host Club often (either for his charming good looks or Kyoya's) and she can meet his new daughter, Haruhi! Finally, his daughter will have a female companion and embrace her feminine side! What a glorious day!

_'What a horrible day.' _He pinched the bridge of his nose, already guessing how low of an opinion Hinata has about them. And she seemed to be such a nice girl, albeit a little weird. Well, he might as well try to salvage what's left of a good impression he has. "Hinata-san, please forgive him. This is Suoh Tamaki, a classmate of mine- and soon to be yours- as well as a fellow host club member. He is... an eccentric one, and this kind of sporadic behavior is the norm. He means well."

"A-Ah, okay then. Um, Kyoya-san?"

"Something the matter?"

"What is a host club?"

"A host-"

"Why Hinata!" She twitched at the lack of suffix- has he no shame? "You do not know of my wonderful club?" What, _he _found it? "Why, the Ouran host club is where the school's handsomest boys," he stopped to give a teeth-twinkling smile, to which she subtly rolled her eyes, "with way too much time on their hands entertain young ladies," he took her hand into his, and held it in a seemingly lovingly way, "who also have way too much time on their hands. Just think of it as Ouran academy's elegant playground for the super rich and beautiful."

She had to hold in the urge to scoff and slap his hand away. She did, however, gently and mannerly removed his hand from hers, and offered a small smile- she can't be rude to Kyoya's friends; what kind of undercover bodyguard would she be if she upset him in any way? "Thank you for that... _detailed _explanation, Suoh-san."

"Oh, Hinata, please refer to me as Tamaki." A discreet twitch of the eye was a response._ 'This guy...' _

"Alright then, Tamaki-san."

An abrupt _ahem _drew both of their attention towards Kyoya, who was quite amused by their interaction. It seems his friend (the more sane one, not the blonde) didn't fawn over him at first sight. Hell, he would venture a guess and say Hinata doesn't like him! Well, that's very interesting. Many girls have fallen victim for his looks, and if that wasn't enough, his words were sure to sway any girl's heart. Well, even after all that, Hinata is unfazed. Impressive.

"Hinata-san, would you care for a tour around the school?"

"Thank you, Kyoya-san."

"Allow me to accompany you-!"

"No."

"Wha- Why!"

"You have made enough of a mess of things today."

"A mess of things? Kyoya, what do you- Hey, wait! Don't leave me, Mama!" The double doors of the music room closed behind the two as they continued their walk around the academy. Despite it being pink, the school is quite magnificent. The gardens are quite beautiful, and Hinata would have loved to explore the maze if they didn't have to be on their way. The tour took up quite a chunk of time, and it was almost the time for homeroom. Luckily, Hinata and Kyoya share every class. Sadly, that means Tamaki is with them as well.

Now don't get her wrong, Tamaki seems to be a nice person. But, as much as he is nice, he is also very overbearing at times. She would go as far as saying he is a narcissist! But he means no harm, as Kyoya said earlier, so she deemed him as no threat to Kyoya's safety. Their sanity, on the other hand...

May God give her strength.

Upon entering the homeroom of class 2-A, girls have swarmed around them- or more specifically, Kyoya- like locusts. Shrieks and proclamations of love and praise resonated throughout the room, along with the grumbling of many jealous, annoyed male classmates, and the occasional female. Kyoya, despite all the commotion, took it all in stride and, with a (FAKE) polite smile, proceeded to lead himself and Hinata towards his desk. Many of the screaming fangirls settled down a bit, but then resumed, this time in outrage and envy, when they noticed the new student holding hands with THEIR prince. Well, he's not exactly theirs, per se, but they love him nonetheless and that should mean something! So why is SHE this close to what's theirs?

Hinata, the ever so nervous one, fidgeted as she received many looks- some curious, some dirty, and some downright murderous! What did she do? All she did was enter the room with Kyo-

Oh. Now she gets it. God, this is like Uchiha Sasuke all over again. She sighed morosely; the only way it's different is because she's right in the middle of all the attention. Oh, how nerve wracking! "Kyoya-san, they wouldn't happen to be so reactive because of-"

"Me?" A nod from the girl. "Yes, that is the case here. We members of the Host Club are quite popular with the girls, and reactions such as these are typical. You seem to be calm about this... ruckus the ladies are starting."

"I am somewhat familiar with this scenario back home, also because of a boy." She cringed at the memories of the academy; the kunoichi back then were barely kunoichi at all! All they cared about years ago was looking beautiful for the boy they love (or what they think is love, but really infatuation)- the Uchiha. Well, except her, she thought to win the boy of her dreams with her strength, and worried little about her appearance. At least now, most of the kunoichi have smartened up and focused more on their duties rather than starving themselves and layering themselves with makeup. Most of them; some, however, have yet to get past that.

It seems that in the civilian world, because they don't endlessly put themselves in harm's way they have more time to think of winning their love- which is mostly just a pretty face and a nice body. How shallow people are these days.

"I see, and were you..." _also like the other girls vying for his attention? _That part was left out, but understood between the two. He let out an inward sigh of relief as she shook her head- now why is that?- and shivered in what looked like disgust. She is an interesting one. She is not to fall for someone's looks alone, and instead looks deeper inside the person, much like Haruhi in her ideas of character mattering more than gender or appearance. _'They would get along well,' _he deduced.

Suddenly, the door slid open with a bang- Déjà vu anyone?- and Tamaki struts in with a flourish. Hinata didn't think it was possible, but the girls became even louder at his presence. _'He must be more popular than Kyoya...' _It is understandable, though, with his flowery words of affection and foreign looks, he can possibly draw almost any woman into his charm. That is, _almost _any woman.

"Kyoya~, why did you leave me alone? I only wanted to join you guys on your tour." He made his way towards his best buddy, and oh look- Hinata is with him! This is his chance to invite her into the Host Club where, hopefully, she can befriend his lovely Haruhi! "Ah, Hinata! So pleasant to see you again!"

Whoa, back up a minute. Their Prince Tamaki DID NOT greet the new student with such familiarity! This is insane; the new girl has the attention of BOTH of the second year hosts- unbelievable! And what's this? He referred to her first name without any suffix! Sure, he did that with every girl, but that's only when he was _hosting_. Here, in a normal setting, he refers to people that are only the other hosts, who double as his friends, with only their first name. How did she get so familiar with them? Are they _just _friends?

"Hello again, Tamaki-san."

"I left you there because unlike you, Hinata-san and I prefer a quiet walk around the school." Even _Kyoya-kun _is on a first name basis? Granted, he uses a respectable suffix, but still- _first name basis?_

A man of tall stature and donning a pair of glasses stood at the doorway. "Hyuuga Hinata? Are you in here?" Assuming that he was her teacher, she bid the two hosts goodbye and joined the man outside. He gave a nod as a greeting. "Hinata-san- may I call you that?" A brief nod. "Alright then. Hinata-san, please refer to me as Kiyozumi-sensei. I'll be your homeroom and mathematics teacher of this year. As the new student, I need you to wait out here for a while as I introduce you to the class. When I finish speaking, that is when you'll enter. Understand?" Another nod, and he gave a smile. Soon, he entered his classroom.

She heaved a great sigh. _'Relax, relax. You can do this- it's just a meet and greet, then off to your seat! Simple!' _If she's _so _convinced that things will be going swimmingly, then why are her knees still shaking, and her heart still pounding? The answer? She's a horrible liar- even to herself. She _hates _being the center of attention, and apparently, befriending the hosts will be sure to garner a _lot _of attention. She sighed, wishing she can go back to where things were simple- where the only things she should concern herself with are her clan duties and missions. Now, she's forced to concern herself over the life of another, her studies, and her secret life.

Great, just great.

"Please welcome Hyuuga Hinata as your new classmate." Oh, that's her cue! She gulped. _'Here goes nothing...'_ She slid the door open, and immediately everyone's eyes were on her. It took all of her willpower to not blush- well, as madly as she wanted to; she can't not blush in this situation- and/or faint and made her way to the front center of the room. She offered a meek "Nice to meet you," and a small head bow to her future classmates. Some had acknowledged her (Kyoya, Tamaki, and some guys that thought she was kinda cute), and the majority chose to ignore her (the girls of the class, save for the few exceptions, and the very bored). Well, that's good for her, less attention towards her means she doesn't have to focus on other things during her job. "Hinata-san, I believe there is an open seat behind Suoh Tamaki. Tamaki-san, please raise your hand." A hand shot up rapidly, although gracefully, and Hinata made her way behind Tamaki's seat. True to his word, there was a desk waiting for her, and she sat there, having a small wave of nostalgia wash over her as she remembered fondly of her times in the academy. Back when Akamaru was an adorable _little _(and she stresses that very much) puppy, Iruka was her instructor, and she was extremely shy- well, she _still _is shy, but she likes to think that she came a long way from her first day roughly 7 years ago. And she was; she was much stronger and more confident compared to her younger self, and this mission is a testimony to that change.

She sighed. She hoped that school in the civilian world would at least be as fun as the academy, although she doesn't expect any shuriken thowing lessons or taijutsu practice, but she supposes that math and English classes would suffice.

* * *

><p>The classes flew by in a hurry, and the only reminder of her day was the homework weighing heavily in her now full book bag. Now was the time for club activities, and Hinata was being led by her charge and his friend to the third music room. Now is finally the time for her to meet the other members of this illustrious host club. From her past side conversations with Tamaki, she knows that there are 5 others: two third years, and three first years, two of them being twins. She also heard some comments about them, like one third year being all cutesy and his companion silent and strong; the twins are a mischievous pair of devils, and the remaining first year being natural and "Tamaki's cute daughter." She questioned that for a while, but thought it was normal of him to think of the club as a family, with what she gathered from Kyoya's title as "Mama." That must be nice, to have your family extended to a close-knit group of friends, and she understands completely how dear friends are.<p>

As time went on, she learned to be comfortable around Tamaki; his optimism is great to be around, and as she conversed with him, she realized how sincere his words are at times, despite how silly they seem. He's like the combination of the two blondes of Konoha, Ino and Naruto. Determined, optimistic, although loud and a little vain, Tamaki is a fine fellow indeed.

In the midst of her thoughts on her friends, the three were in front of the double doors of the music room. Someone opened the door and she walked in automatically, not bothering in her dazed state to check who held the door. She did, however, snap out of it when she saw two red-haired twins sitting on the couch- was that there this morning?- playing with these mini machines that was making noises. Strange. She presumed that they are the twins of the club; what was their names again?

"Hikaru, Kaoru!" Oh, that's it.

"Tono, what's up?" Tono? Tamaki is a king?

"Where's Haruhi?" He looked frantically around for this Haruhi person, but stopped when the twins confirmed that he- is it he or she? Tamaki kept saying Haruhi was "his daughter" but isn't this a club of men?- was in the library and will come in later. At that point, the blonde was vigorously inquiring silly questions like "Why did you guys leave your sister?" or something of that sort. Obviously, Hikaru and Kaoru were used to such behavior from their upperclassman and continued on with their business. It wasn't until Kyoya made his presence known with the clap of his hands did the twins stop with playing, and finally notice that they had a new person- even more so, a _girl_- among them. Inquisitive, the two stood up and came closer to Hinata to further inspect her, not that anyone can blame them. It's not everyday that you see a girl with such exquisite features like midnight tainted locks and pearly, pupil less eyes, although the latter was common back in the hidden villages.

"Who's this?" Straight to the point, these two are.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, this is Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata-san, this is Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru." Kyoya formally introduced, and he gestured with his hand for who's who, with the help of the twins by nodding when he was correct. He kept a vigilant eye on the two as they scrutinized the new company. The twins were known to be horridly blunt and cold when presented with something not of their interest, and they never bothered to keep their behaviors in check, except when hosting. Currently, said twins were circling her, and made quiet mumblings of comments and opinions. Hinata fidgeted around, obviously unnerved under their calculating eye, yet put up a neutral expression. Having been criticized many times before by her father, she was somewhat used to this. All she has to do is look indifferent and not think about how nerve-wracking this is, but think about trivial matters, like her homework and such.

"You guys, don't make Hinata uncomfortable! Quit your ogling and act like gentlemen!"

"Ogling, Tono? Why that's a bit harsh!" She thinks it was Hikaru who said that. "We're merely observing this fine lady here." At that, he wrapped his arm around her waist, and Hinata suddenly became wary, wondering where this would be going.

"Yeah Tono," That must be Kaoru, since his voice is a little higher; maybe he's the younger of the two. "Isn't she quite lovely? I mean, look at her hair," At this, he grabbed a lock of said hair. "So unique and beautiful..."

"Like her eyes- pure white and no pupils! Hey, are you blind?"

"No, this is a family genetic. All of my family has eyes like mine."

"You hear that, Hikaru? There's a whole group of people like her with her eyes!"

Hikaru smirked, and removed his arm from Hinata's waist- to this, she subtly sighed in relief- and instead replaced it on Kaoru's waist. Wait, what? "But, no matter how unique her eyes are, they will never be as stunning as yours, Kaoru."

"Oh, Hikaru. Stop it, you're embarrassing me." He blushed in a Hinata-like fashion.

"But it's the truth, my dear Kaoru." Hikaru cupped his cheek with his hand, in a lovingly fashion, and Hinata can't help but twitch. Not that she had a problem with homosexuality or even incest- it's common in her family so they can keep the Byakugan pure- but, seriously? She turned to Kyoya, and raised her eyebrow, wondering about his choice of companions. This may be a trick of the eye, but did a corner of his lips twitched upward?

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I believe it's time to stop this charade of yours. Hinata-san does not seem like one to fall for brotherly love." Brotherly love? A charade?

Hikaru dropped his arm from his brother's waist, and placed it around his shoulders. "Really? Then what's her type then? It's not Tono, is it? Is it you?" Kaoru mimicked his brother in the placing of his arm, and looked curiously at Hinata, who was, once again, the center of attention.

"She's not a guest at all. And no, she has fallen for neither Tamaki nor myself." The twins raised an eyebrow is unison. _'What is she doing here, then?' _Kyoya then went on to answer their mental question, "She is a scholarship student, like Haruhi." Haruhi's a scholarship student? That's interesting. "Her father is an acquaintance of my father. Because they lived far away from here, my father decided to take Hinata in for the rest of her schooling years. She is living with me now, and I simply brought her here so we may depart for home together."

The twins, in unison, replied, "Eh, a scholarship? Like the academic one for Haruhi?"

She got a bit nervous then. No way was she academically smart enough to gain a scholarship! But she has to lie, no matter how much she hates the act. "I got a different scholarship. One for... martial arts." She inwardly winced; it wasn't that much of a lie, she _is _skilled in fighting, but now that her abilities have been somewhat brought to light, she wonders how long it will take for them to know how skilled she really is. It seemed to shock the men in the room, for they can hardly believe how someone small and fragile like her can fight. Is she like Honey-sempai- cute on the outside, but deadly when necessary? They would have thought if it weren't a scholarship for intelligence, it would have been music or art, but martial arts? That's a bit of a shocker.

They were all silent, until the door opened again, and in came in... a kid? No, really, it has to be a kid, and a very cute one. It was riding on the shoulders of a tall, dark haired and dark eyed man, who was quite handsome. The kid was blonde, and had wide, chocolate eyes, and he was wearing the uniform much like the man he was riding. A pink bunny was in his arms. That's strange, is he really in high school? Suddenly, Hinata thought back to a conversation in Japanese history with Tamaki, about two third years, who are completely like opposites- tall versus short, dark versus bright, silent versus talkative. Maybe that's them. If only she remembered their names...

"Hey guys~!" the short blonde exclaimed, very happy to see his friends as the tall one nodded his head, greeting them all silently. Both took note that there was someone new with them, but decided not to bring it up yet. "What's the theme today, Tamaki~?"

Is it just her imagination, or did she see pink flowers floating around him?

"Ah, Honey-sempai," Honey? Like the food? "Today we'll be wearing kimonos that the twins' mother has made for us later, when Haruhi comes in! We'll be setting up screens and the tables soon."

"Okay~! Ne~ who's this girl with us?"

It was Kaoru that responded. "She's Kyoya's friend. Her name is Hinata."

"Hinata, ne?" He dropped down from his cousin's shoulders, unbeknownst to all but Mori and Hinata, with a catlike grace so he wouldn't hurt himself. She wondered if he was trained like her- ninjas have learned how to land much like he did, so as to not alert the enemies of their presence. Honey then ran and leaped up, arms wide open, so he can hug Hinata. Hinata, learning how to intercept these flying hugs from last time, braced herself, and kept steady as she held him. "Hina-chan, my name is Haninozuka Mitsukuni, but call me Honey, please~!" That explains why he's called Honey, then. Hold up, did he call her Hina-chan?

"Hina-chan?..." She hasn't heard anyone call her by that old nickname since her mother...

"Yep! I call everyone by a shortened name, except Takashi over there, like Tama-chan, and Hika-chan, and even Kyo-chan!" Takashi? Is that the tall man's given name? Surname? And did he just call Kyoya Kyo-chan? She has to admit, that's really... cute. "Ne, Hina-chan~, do you want me to not call you that? Do you not like it?" He noticed at the mention of her new nickname how her eyes glazed a bit in sorrow, and yet happiness as well.

"No, Honey-sempai, it's fine to call me H-Hina-chan." Darn, she stuttered! And she was doing so well to prevent that! "It's just... my mother, she..."

His eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh! Do you want to have only your mother call you that? I can call you Nata-chan if you like~!"

She shook her head. "Either is fine. Besides, my mother is not around anymore to call me Hina-chan..." All of them caught on to what she was saying, and immediately felt sorrowful. She doesn't have a mother either?

Honey was sorry to bring up such sad memories, and his tears showed that. "Wah! I'm sorry Nata-chan~! I'll call you that instead, okay?"

Hinata smiled fondly at Honey's kind thoughts. She wiped a tear away in a motherly fashion, and Honey stopped crying when he felt her touch on his cheek. "Thank you, Honey-sempai." He smiled brightly. Everyone that was watching the two smiled warmly, besides the two dark hosts, who did so in their head. Unknowingly, a short, brown haired student was among them, with warm, brown, doe-like eyes that expressed empathy for the girl. Haruhi had entered the room in time to hear about this girl's mother. She reminisced about her mother shortly, then was brought to attention as Tamaki finally noticed her.

"Haruhi! How wonderful it is to see you, my daughter!" Again, Haruhi was wrapped up in his arms, squirming away to no avail.

"Ack, Tamaki-sempai, let go!" At her refusal to be hugged Tamaki had let go, comedic tears streaming down his face.

"But why~?" Geez, he can be so childish!

"I'm not your daughter." And with that, Tamaki made another visit to his friend, Mr. Corner of Woe, as he drew tiny circles on the ground. Ignoring him, Haruhi noticed Hinata's gaze on her, first curious, then of discovery, which kind of freaked her out. Was she found out that easily?

"You are the Fujioka-san I hear about?" Her question came out more of a statement. And she can't help but notice how formal she is with everyone. Mostly, all the girls here refer to the club with -kun, and never their last name. _'She's really polite.' _she pointed out.

"Yes, I'm Fujioka Haruhi. And you are..."

"Oh, I'm Hyuuga Hinata of class 2A."

"In Tamaki-sempai's and Kyoya-sempai's class?" Her reply was a nod and a smile. "Are you a guest?" She shook her head.

"I'm here with Kyoya-san." Sempai? Is she a friend of the Shadow Prince? Haruhi looked for Kyoya and asked with her eyes, to which he answered with a minute nod. Interesting- it's not like she thought Kyoya was a loner or anything; it was that he is... unapproachable, in a sense. Not many would associate with him so friendly, except Tamaki, seeing that he has a cool exterior that somehow repels yet attracts people, although the attraction was through his looks. Haruhi can tell that Hinata doesn't care much for appearance, based on what she observed, and instead looked for character. A trait that's hard to find these days. Look at them- they're a _host club_- she doubts girls bothered to look deeper.

She decided: Hinata is a really fascinating person.

* * *

><p>Ah, my chapters grow by a thousand every time! Is that good? I don't know anymore! I thought a long length would be good, but now that I think about it, what would I write for future chapters? Argh!<p>

Damn, I haven't updated for more than a week! I'm getting lazier and lazier...

So, she met them all! Liked it? Loved it? Disliked it? Wanna stab me repeatedly for putting up crap? Well, for the first three questions, here's your answer: REVIEW! The fourth one, please hold in that urge. I'd rather not be injured and have to go to a hospital or anything- I have NJASK coming up! ;A;

Do not expect an update for an entire week! I have indoor percussion competitions coming up and all this test crap, then a DANCE! Oh your God, do I dread that dance...

Staying strong!  
>- Failure-chan<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Now, Honey may be adorable beyond words, and have a sweet tooth that rivals a certain blonde's ramen addiction, but if there's one thing he isn't, it's oblivious. His eyes are quite sharp, and he has a great intuition. Why, if it weren't for those two characteristics, he wouldn't be the first to discover Haruhi's true gender (Kyoya doesn't count- he knows everything about everyone, so therefore, he's a cheater). And being the observer he is, he noticed one thing about the new student, and his newly found friend, Hinata:

She's not normal. Granted, no one's normal (come on- in this school, weird is the new normal), but there's something about her... that _reeks _of mystery. What that mystery is, he will never figure out. At least, at this point, where he knows so little of the second year.

And, oh, does he intend to find out. But right now, there is an issue he must deal with. This "French, crazy girl that claims that she's Kyoya's fiance" issue.

Really, he didn't think anything crazy (well, _crazier_) would happen today, for it was quite a normal and productive day at the host club.

* * *

><p>He managed to leak out some tears, as he told his tale of woe to his customers in the cutesiest voice that he could possibly create- he lost his sandal! Oh, did those poor girls fell for that gimmick. Even Haruhi came up to him worriedly, as she tried to reassure him and ask gently about where he dropped it. Really, all of the girls would have flocked to him if it weren't for the twins and Tamaki. That is, except one:<p>

Said girl was currently conversing with his kouhai, Kyoya, shyly fidgeting as she averted her pearl eyes from his gaze. Yes- it was the new student, Hyuuga Hinata. He did notice, however, that she glanced at his direction once, but then, he noticed this certain gleam in her eyes as she took in the scene, she smiled weirdly (he defined it weirdly because he couldn't connect it to any emotion from the top of his head), then looked away.

Huh, interesting. Did she catch to what he was planning? Clever girl, that one- and a very observant one, too.

Just then, he felt something brush against his cheek. He turned to face the object, but then, Takashi, his ever so servile cousin, slipped on the object- which is now identified as his missing sandal- in its rightful place. He raised his hand to his mouth, as he quietly muttered his cousin's name, then leaped to hug him, repeating his name, albeit louder, as the surrounding girls squealed in delight. None of them heard Mori's explanation of the sandal's location (the poor guy).

Oh, what's this? Everyone was now crowding around Tamaki and Haruhi, the former offering many Japanese teacakes and the latter unenthusiastically received them, murmuring how she only needed them for her late mother, not herself. Really, those two are comical. Speaking of a comical duo...

"Huh? Aren't you a new face?" Kaoru asked (that is, he believed it was Kaoru, if he remembered how the twins parted their hair correctly), "What's wrong? Just come in." She still didn't come out of her hiding place. Maybe he should give it a shot.

"Come-"

"Hey!" Ah, there goes Tamaki. "Be softer to the new guest!" At that, he stretched out his welcoming hand, and gave out his "lady-killer" smile. "Here, don't be scared, princess." He started approaching her, as if she was a frightened stray kitten. "Welcome to the Ouran host-"

Well, it _did _work- she came out of hiding, after all- but not in the way he expected.

She pushed out her hand and hit Tamaki right in the face, facing the other direction as if the very sight of him repulsed her. "DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU FAKER!" All of them gasped. Not once did any girl refuse any of the hosts, let alone the (self-proclaimed) _king_ of hosts, so vehemently. Tamaki, shielding his face with his hand, muttered a faint "Fake?..." before the new guest continued her rant. "I CANNOT _BELIEVE _YOU'RE RECOGNIZED AS A PRINCE IN THIS CLUB! A PRINCE SHOULDN'T SPRINKLE HIS LOVE SO EASILY!" Really, _that's _what she's going on about? "IT MAKES GIRLS' HEARTS TREMBLE IF YOU SMILE WITH SORROW! BUT WHY DO YOU LOOK SO _STUPID_?" Just then, an imaginary arrow pierced through Tamaki. "IT'S AS IF YOU'RE A LIGHT-HEADED _NARCISSIST_!" Another one. "USELESS! TOO ORDINARY!" Two more were thrown in, just for good measure. "YOU'RE THE WORST!" There's the shocker. Tamaki, too astonished for words, slowly fell down to the floor.

"Ooh, a new technique!" the twins piped in, "Slow motion by himself!"

"Can it be? You are..." What? Kyoya knows this crazy girl?

Said crazy girl burst into tears- which is an amazing feat, considering how only a few people in this room can accomplish that- and screamed out "Kyoya-sama!" She leaped into his arms, much like how he does it with Mori, and Kyoya stood stock still. "I wanted to see you so badly... My only prince..." The rest of the host club could only stare in bewilderment.

Well, three things came out of this crazy kerfuffle:

1. Tamaki learned a new technique

2. Kyoya possibly gained a new customer

3. Honey noticed a glint in Hinata's eyes- that of a certain green-eyed monster...

* * *

><p>And that is where it led Hinata to this point of the day- standing amongst the shocked hosts, sans Tamaki, who is now spending time with Mr. Corner of Woe (again), as they listen to the Renge's introduction.<p>

"Yes, I'm Houshakuji Renge. I'll be in First Year Class A tomorrow." Well, that's somewhat of a relief. It's a bit mean, but Hinata was happy that this crazy girl wouldn't share the same classes as her (and a tiny part of her revels in the fact that Renge wouldn't be around Kyoya during the school day). Although, the others were a bit preoccupied by another loudmouth...

"See," the twins chorused together, "he's angry. All because Mom was hiding something from Dad."

_'Is that considered adultery?...'_ Hinata wondered, although such a sin isn't applied here since, well- Kyoya and Tamaki aren't married, nor did they have any kids (let alone at 17 years old- kids these days and their promiscuous activities [and their lack of condoms/birth control]). But it's an interesting topic to ponder every once in a while.

_'Besides,' _Hinata thought amused, _'Kyoya would be the Dad in that case instead of Tamaki.' _Tamaki has a more nurturing personality and bubbly attitude that's suitable for a mother, while Kyoya is more collected and cool, but can care just as much as his blonde companion.

Snapped out of her reverie, she noticed the blush tinting Renge's cheeks, and managed to catch the later part of what she was saying. "... Kindly stretching his hand out to the injured kitty..." Really? Kyoya would do all that? That seems too unbelievable, even if she did only meet him two days prior.

"I can't imagine that at all..." See? Even the twins agree with her, and they knew him a much longer time than she did! Renge must obviously be mistaken about who Kyoya really is.

"It must be the wrong person-" Ah, Haruhi- always the voice of reason among the group (well, besides Kyoya, but Hinata thinks anything that he says at this point would just worsen the situation- just a hunch she has).

"MY EYES ARE JUSTICE!" And Hinata senses another rant coming on, maybe even crazier than the previous one.

She was correct, much to her displeasure (oh, how her sanity suffers).

"KIND TO EVERYONE AND NEVER ASKS FOR RETURN! LOVES THE SOLITUDE, BUT ACTUALLY HATES THE LONELINESS! THE THROBBING SIMULATION GAME!..." What, a game? Renge abruptly pointed at Kyoya. "YOU! WHO LOOKS LIKE ICHIJO MIYABI FROM 'UKI DOKI MEMORIAL!'"

Everyone froze at the last part, but then they started to look terrified by the revelation about Renge: she's really just an otaku (not like Hinata has any idea what that means).

"I see." Kyoya seemed to actually what was going on? "A girl with a lot of interest in characters- she replaces me with her favorite character, makes me her fiance, and gets lost in her wild fantasies.."

"Her wild fantasies?... Isn't she your fiance?..."

"I don't remember ever affirming that fact even once." Wow, now that she thinks about it, he never did and just let all this chaos happen. With all the facts straight, she now knows that Renge is _not _engaged with Kyoya (Hinata denies how relieved she was about that) and is really just obsessing over a character that looks like him... from a simulation game? What the hell is that? Now she's miffed- he should have just told everyone that earlier so they would all calm down, and she wouldn't be so jea-

Whoa, whoa, whoa- wait a minute. Was she about to admit that she was _jealous_? Over _Renge_? Really, ever since she came here, her emotions have been all jumbled up in this huge mess. Well, once she finishes her mission and comes back home, she'll never feel this weird ever again...

Right?

"From what I see from the report, you're managing everything in the club, Kyoya-sama?" Renge seemed really excited, and even stole some of Honey's "kawaii floating flowers of pinkness."

Speaking of Honey... "Yes- Kyo-chan is the store manager-san."

"The store manager-sama! It suits him very well!" She then entered a realm of sparkles, hands clasped together with a dreamy look in her eyes. "It was my dream to be a draw-girl for the store! I've decided! At the same time, I'll prepare being a bride!" At the last bit, Hinata twitched her eye a little, not that anyone (well, anyone that isn't observant enough- a certain blonde midget and a glasses-bearing faux fiance are the exception) ever saw her.

"We don't need one; we're a host club." Was that Hikaru? She barely remembers the different pitches of their voices, or the way the twins parted their bangs, although she's set on finding a new way to tell them apart since they almost always speak in unison.

"We're not a bakery." the other deadpanned. Hinata thinks that would be Kaoru.

But Renge was not listening, although it's quite clear that she would only ever listen to anyone other than Kyoya or anything pertaining to him. "I'll be the administrative assistant for the host club!"

Tamaki cleared his throat a bit. "Umm... Kyoya?"

"She's the daughter of one of the important business partners of my family. Please take a good care of her." Kyoya was resolute: _Do anything to make her upset, and die._ Although it wasn't said aloud, it was intended in his tone. That's the Shadow King for you.

Tamaki sighed, expecting this from his calculating friend. "As you heard..." He then placed his hand on Haruhi's shoulder, and the twins mimicked his action.

"Haruhi." They stared at her for a bit, then everyone booked it, even Hinata, although very sympathetic and worried about her friend's well being, went with Honey and Mori, for she did not want to deal with _that_. "THIS IS PART OF YOUR HOST TRAINING. FATHER WILL BE COLD HEARTED!" Tamaki seemed to be a bit more dramatic than the others, running away with tears in his eyes, but then again, Tamaki is always one for theatrics.

Haruhi tried to reach out her hand to anyone, but they all left her- she was quite shocked. Why is it always her? Damn rich bastards... Wait! Kyoya is still here, maybe he can offer help.

Nope. "Of course, if something goes wrong your debt will be doubled." He then walked away. Always a pillar of support, that Kyoya.

She sighed, and, once again, wished she wasn't so clumsy to break a vase.

* * *

><p>"Haruhi-kun. Haruhi-kun~!" Renge beckoned her. She now adorns a rose patterned apron, holding a bowl full of dough and a whisk. Haruhi, with a rack of cookies in her hands, is also wearing an apron, but this one is checker-patterned. "Should I put more sugar in the cream?"<p>

"Ah, yes. How's the chocolate going?" Huh, maybe Renge isn't like any other rich girl and can actually cook for herself.

"Everything's fine. I'm melting them now." She shouldn't have set her hopes up.

Haruhi fussed with everything Renge is doing, seeing as she's going at it all wrong. Really, how can rich kids mess up the simplest of concepts?

From the entrance of the kitchen, Hikaru and Tamaki gaze at her adoringly while grasping the door frame, loving the apron she's wearing and how cute she looks. Kaoru and Honey are also delighted in the sight, but not as much as the two mentioned earlier. Kyoya, Mori, and Hinata are just standing amongst the others, one writing in a notebook, another standing dutifully next to his cousin, and the other one sighing about Renge's incapability in a kitchen. It became so much, in fact, that Hinata entered the room, grabbed the nearest apron, which happens to be a plain lavender, and joined the girls (well, one girl and another disguising as a boy) in their baking. She relieved Haruhi of her job in instructing Renge the ways of baking, and told her to watch over the batch of cookies in the oven. Haruhi followed her orders, relaxing a bit knowing that someone is here to help her. Hinata, being one with a lot of patience and knowledge, gently taught her the ways of making cookies, despite how frustrating Renge can be. But, deep inside, she understands how she feels... wanting to try her best in impressing the one she loves...

She was unaware of the stare directed her way, onyx eyes hiding behind glasses as they enjoy the smiling face of the second year. The owner of said eyes then asked a question. "By the way, what's that process?"

"She said she's making cookies for Kyo-chan~!"

"I'm sure she mistook host club with bakery... poor Haruhi."

"DUMMY! ARE ALL YOUR EYES KNOTHOLES? In the room which is full of sweet fragrance... cute cookies, which are just baked, and two female classmates and one female sempai , who are getting along very well. Everything is well planned- this is one big project to make Haruhi realize she's a girl! Everyone rolled their eyes at that (3 subtly and 2 not-so-subtly). But Tamaki paid them no heed, instead, he continued in his little fantasy. "The gentle atmosphere that only girls can possess will aid Haruhi to realize she is a girl-"

"You're too noisy, fake king." Apparently, during his monologue, no one noticed Renge sticking her head out of the door, a sour expression on her face.

It was another visit to Mr. Corner of Woe for Tamaki.

Renge switched gears as she held questionable black stone-looking objects in her hands. "Kyoya-sama, I learned how to make commoner cookies from Haruhi-kun, oh, and Hinata-sempai too. It was my first time to cook, so I was a bit scared."

Kyoya upheld his image of coolness. "Well... the colors are okay."

"I know. I'm bad at it~! But, I'm sure," She cupped her cheeks with her hands, drifting to la-la land. "if it's Kyoya-sama, he'll say 'Anything you make is delicious...'"

It was anything _but _delicious. The twins and Honey found that out the hard way.

"Tastes nasty."

"What is this, a rock?"

"It doesn't taste very good." Honey was close to tears. That girl butchered the sanctity of cookies. Unforgivable!

Renge caught wind of the insults. How dare they undermine her hard work! Her hair started to levitate, and soon took the appearance of snakes, giving out an aura likened to Medusa. She started chasing the tiny third year, and he could only run away in terror. If this were an anime, Haruhi would have had a sweat drop by her head. She tried her best to ignore them as she sampled her own cookies. They went pretty well, even though she hadn't made snacks in a while. The twins found Haruhi, deep in her thought and with a cookie hanging out from her mouth, and decided to mess with Tono's head... just for a little bit.

Hikaru lifted the back of her head, and grabbed the other end of the cookie with his mouth, tearing off a part of the cookie. "Getting rid of the bad taste."

Tamaki raised his head, staring blankly at the two.

Kaoru decided to take it up a notch. "You got some cream on your face." And how did he wipe it away? With his tongue of course.

_That's _when Tamaki decides to butt in. Enraged, he yelled at the twins for "sexual harassment" and the like. Haruhi took it all in stride.

"Hey... Kaoru, if you could've just told me, I would've gotten it off myself. And Hikaru, if you wanted some, there's more in here." She pointed to the tiny basket of cookies in her hands.

"YOUR REACTION IS ALL WRONG! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO REJECT THEM, NOT **LET THEM GO**!" He cupped his dear daughter's face, hoping to instill some common sense (not that he has a lot of that, either).

"Please stop the sexual harassment, sempai." And then another yelling match ensued- or rather, Tamaki doing all the yelling, while Haruhi calmly replied to everything. Hinata realized that would be the regular routine between the two, and giggled. She was quite proud of her cookies, they were not too sweet, but they had a nice flavor.

"Ne, Nata-chan~! Can I have a cookie?" She can never deny that cute face. She smiled, and handed him a cookie, patting his head motherly. He bit in, and his eyes sparkled. Finally, someone that can appreciate the beauty of baking! This is amazing! He _needs _to have more of her cooking. She noticed his excitement, and giggled at how childish he looked. But then again, he's _still _ an 18 year old third year...

Kyoya, shrouded by the shadows, glanced at the warm scene between his tenant and his upperclassman. He wondered if her cookies taste as good as Honey portrays them. _'Then again,' _He glanced down at the burnt mess, untouched. _'_Anything _is better than this.' _He decided to have a little taste himself. As he approached them, he caught snippets of their conversation.

"... learn how to bake so well?"

"My little sister, she would always want to have sweets as often as possible, which isn't often." A little sister? Kyoya may need to do a bit of research on her.

"Eh? Is she really busy?"

"Yes, my father would train her in jyu... martial arts." Jyu? What's that? Another reason to research her.

"Whoa! Do you know how to fight too?" A fighter? Even more mysterious... Honey is getting excited. Maybe she can be a formidable opponent!

"Yes, although I haven't been able to train often..." Now that she thinks about it, she should keep up her training regimen. She won't be weak when she needs to protect Kyoya!

"Then come to my dojo~! We can train together!"

"Ah, maybe I will." Great, how can she train without actually showing what she can do? Man, keeping secrets is hard! Honey seemed to be a bit shocked. Hinata looked at him imploringly, wondering what's wrong. He seemed to shake his head a bit, as if to clear his head a little to give an answer.

"You don't seem all that surprised that I know martial arts, Nata-chan~."

She paused a bit, wondering how to explain this. "I guess it's the way you carry yourself..."

"Oh, I get it~!" Well, Kyoya doesn't get it, but he surmises that it's a martial arts thing. "Hey, Kyo-chan~!" Honey beckoned him over.

"Hello Kyoya-san."

"Honey-sempai, Hinata-san." He observed the cookies in Hinata's hands- for one, they weren't burnt and they actually _look _like cookies (he can't say that much for the supposed treats in his hands). They looked rather plain, but that's alright with him; he wasn't much of a chocolate or icing kind of guy. He pointed at the batch in her hands, silently asking for permission. Her eyes widened a bit, as if she wasn't expecting him to actually bother with her snacks, but she nodded her consent. He reached for one, and then popped it into his mouth. It wasn't all that sweet, and it had a slightly spicy taste. It's actually quite nice. He believes that's...

"Cinnamon?"

She nodded, a lovely grin adorning her face. "It's my favorite."

Honey watched the interaction between the two, interested. Is Kyoya showing an interest in the new girl? And not even the usual one, where he was merely curious of everything about her. It was much deeper.

He inwardly smirked. This is going to be so much fun.

* * *

><p>Oh, God, it's finally done~! I'm sorry this took too long! I actually was going to update, but then I thought it was horrible and rewrote the whole thing! Hehe, I had <em>lots <em>of fun writing Honey all mature and stuff. It's a side I'd like to explore more often. OWO So Renge is here, yay! I would have continued on to the movie-thingy (by the way, I'm following the manga... most of the time) but then you guys would have to wait even longer! And this chapter is long enough anyway. :P

So don't expect anything until mid June! I have five projects going on simultaneously (not even kidding- one for each subject, except civics, who decided to be cool and assign TWO projects :L) and then FINALS! So, school won't be out until the 14th, so look forward to that!

How do I keep forgetting this! Disclaimer: This ain't mine~! Never would I conceive an amazing idea like this! This all belongs to Bisco Hatori and Kishimoto Masashi (bless their souls, and amazing manga :D)

Still alive and kicking!  
>- Failure-chan<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Hinata is absolutely, positively, one hundred percent certain that her kohai, Fujioka Haruhi, is of the female race.

How does she know? Well, she would be lying if she said that her ninja senses picked something the brief time she met her that tipped her off. Or that she secretly got her hands on Kyoya's omniscient black book (she doubts anyone, even a ninja, would be able to pull that off). Really, it all comes down to her woman's intuition. And a woman's intuition is _never_ wrong.

So it is quite a surprise that Renge, the girly-est one among them, doesn't catch on to the big secret (Hinata assumes it is based on Haruhi's extra curricular activites - what sane girl would go for another girl at a host club?(not that she's implying girls _can't _like other girls - none of the girls here don't seem that way, anyway)) and better yet, becomes _infatuated _with said secret-holder.

* * *

><p><em>She isn't paying all that much attention towards the movie they are shooting - <em>no_, she is not taking a nap, to anyone that asks - and is brought out of her daze when she hears yelling nearby. Curious, she furtively makes her way past the filming crew and stalks towards the source of the sound. Her head peeks through to see Haruhi and Renge along with two rough-looking boys, who are also students here, Hinata notes as she looks at their uniforms._

_"... should be always bad guys in the climax!" And with that, Hinata tunes out the rest of the speech, gauging the other's reactions. Haruhi is comically trying to interrupt her while the two boys look absolutely offended, obviously from Renge judging them by their rugged appearances. She mentally chides the young girl for not looking past their physical features and not trying to get to know their personalities. At least Haruhi is smart enough to look beyond appearances and even lecture the French girl about it. However, Renge pays her (Hinata strongly believes at this point that Haruhi is too girly to be male - although her theory is not set in stone yet) no mind and drags along the already enraged student. Having enough, he shoves her into movie equipment.  
><em>

_"Watch out!" And that's when Hinata arrives, high in the air, delivering a kick to the falling objects, easily breaking them in half, the debris harmlessly falling to the ground, albeit awkwardly (darn that dress!). Haruhi is behind Renge, grasping her shoulders as a means to protect her, although it's unnecessary at this point. Still, Haruhi falls to the ground, placing her hand on her head.  
><em>

_"Haruhi-kun! Are- are you alright?" The poor girl flinches in some sort of pain, and Hinata is so angry, she grabs one of the boys by the collar, glaring so hard her pupils can be seen even without the Byakugan (it's not like they are completely invisible - her pupils tend to blend in with the whiteness of her eyes, much like her family members).  
><em>

_"You resort to violence, huh?" Her grip tightens, and the boy whimpers. "Well then, it'll be fine when I do, right?" Her hand raises over her head, about to strike him open-palmed when someone beats her to the punch. Literally. Tamaki, of all people, appears and punches the other student. Hinata has never seen her classmate so hostile before; annoyed, yes, but never this angry, this _furious_. __She snaps out of her reverie, and drops the boy to the ground, the shock of seeing a different Tamaki bringing her back to reality. He scuttles away as she slumps against the wall, sighing resentfully. She hears the others making their way, and feels some of their stares, but she's in no mood to explain anything. She, of all people, was about to jump right into violence and even worse, use _jyuuken _on him when she knew he wouldn't survive that kind of attack without permanent damage. To stoop down to that level is pitiful._

_She's really bad at her job.  
><em>

_She sees a pair of feet in front of her and looks up to see the silent third year, Mori. His hand is stretched out, and Hinata takes it to lift herself up. When she's back on her feet, she resumes to look down at the ground, still melancholy over the whole ordeal. An unsuspecting hand pats her head and she looks up in shock. Mori's head gestures to the wreckage behind him, the result of her flying kick, as if asking she is the cause. She nods, the hand not leaving her head.  
><em>

_"You did well." Is that... a sentence... from _Mori_? The forever silent, stoic third year who sticks to Hunny like glue? Whoa._

_"I- um- thank you?" Her tone shows how really unsure (and confused) she is about this situation. He nods, and the warmth atop her head leaves as he walks away to stand dutifully next to his fellow senior. Slowly, a smile graces her lips.  
><em>

_Until glass - or more accurately, the camera lens- shatters against a rock. In_ Kyoya's _hand. Really, all of these people are surprising left and right._

_"... it's very unpleasant of you causing this kind of trouble." Yep, that's the real Kyoya. Renge, unused to the his behavior, sheds tears in confusion and sadness that her "love" is being so cruel. She curls to her knees on the ground, and Haruhi, always the pleasant person (who didn't really suffer from any damage save for the misplaced contact - which Hinata doesn't understand; how does plastic improve one's sight?), comforts her with a few words and a charming smile.  
><em>

_And that's how Hinata realizes Haruhi's true gender; there's only two kinds of people that can comfort a girl: a man who knows his words or an understanding woman. Her gut is leaning towards the latter.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Now that the hullabaloo is out of the way, the host club returns to its normal routine. Well, almost...<p>

"This is what you meant by fall in love with the person little by little through looking at their personality, isn't it... Haruhi-kun?" Her eyes glitter with glee (madness?). Haruhi falters a little in her stance.

_'I thought she returned to France!' _Is what's on everyone mind right now. And so another girl joins the host club.

Kyoya turns to the bluenette at his side, amused to see her eye twitch a little at the general direction of the rest of the group. He remembers when he arrived to the violent scene, he saw Hinata huddled against a wall, eyes horrified as if she committed murder. He wanted to ask her what's wrong (for information, of course - nothing more) when Mori got to her before him. He wasn't all that surprised at Mori's courteous and friendly actions, but he was shocked to see his lips moving, which equates to _talking_. It's quite a feat to have the third year to talk to someone after meeting just mere hours ago.

She really is a strange one.

"Do you want to talk about earlier?" She turns him for a brief second, recognition of what he said flashing in her eyes before a sad glint replaces it, but then a calmness takes over - her eyes are really expressive.

"No, there's no need." He sees her look into the corner of her eye, towards a certain wild-type host fondly. He can't help the slight anger he has towards his sempai.

* * *

><p>At the end of the day, the host club, sans Renge, are relaxing after a productive and exhausting afternoon (who knew one girl could cause such pandemonium?), the twins and Tamaki lounging on a couch civilly for once talking over tea, the seniors at their own table, one eating cake, the other a book in hand, Haruhi sitting at a nearby table doing homework, and Kyoya and Hinata sitting away from the group in a comfortable silence, him typing away on his laptop and her observing and mustering the courage to ask the question that's plaguing her mind. After getting tired of staring at her hands for so long, she looks up and opens her mouth, blurting out the inquisition without thinking (otherwise, she would stammer and not ask at all).<p>

"Is Haruhi-san a crossdresser?" It's a rather simple, innocent question based on observation, yet it's one to cause quite a ruckus.

The first warning signs are the clatter of porcelain tea cups against fragile saucers and three heads, two ginger, one blond, swivel towards the asker, whose blush is slowly darkening from the attention. The next is the paused fork in a certain vertically challenged blond's hand, poised to enter his mouth with an entire slice of delicious strawberry cake in tow. The boy across from him shuts his book rather loudly, and turns to Hinata in a tense silence. Her bespectacled classmate is gripping his fountain pen tightly enough to crack its smooth surface. The person (girl) in question closes her textbooks, looking at everybody and sighs. _'I hope they don't overreact.'_

She fails to understand that this is the _host club_.

The "king" erupts into nonsensical babbles, although Hinata picks up on a few keywords: Haruhi, daughter, and manly man. She senses the twins (she assumes it's them because of the synchronized footsteps) sneaking their way behind her, probably trying to intimidate her into keeping this a secret, not that such actions are necessary. The seniors keep to themselves, although not strange to the tall one, it's unusual for his shorter, bubblier companion. The calm brunet(te) huffs in exasperation and walks towards her flustered sempai. She figures it's safe to let her in on the secret since she doesn't seem like the type of person to blab to anyone. Someone beats her to it.

"Haruhi is not a crossdresser, although she's posing as the opposite sex. She's paying off a debt through labor, or as a host, and because of her androgynous appearance, this arrangement works."

Hinata's mouth opens into a small "o" of shock, although she understands the situation at hand. And she has to say, she can't tell if Haruhi ended up with a wonderland of fun and friends... or hell on earth.

"How did you figure it out, Hinata-sempai?"

She looks to the girl-in-disguise and thinks of how to answer her. Then it hits her: "Call it a woman's intuition."

* * *

><p>Hai :3... please don't kill me. It'll take even longer for me to update this should you choose to do so (dragon balls solve that problem, though :P).<p>

So anyway!

Hi, it's been a while, huh? I know, I know, this is _**way**_ overdue, but I finally got to touch it up a bit this afternoon. Marching band, although super fun, eats away at my writing time, high school is tiring, and... I'm just lazy. But all of your reviews motivated me so thankies!

Sorry it's so short - I wanted to get past this point in the story to get into the more fun stuff. Kufufufu... (can you believe that ending to khr?! It sucked, in my opinion. :I)

Also!

I got some more story ideas coming up: a Shaman King/Naruto crossover (with a possible Ren/Hina pairing - I ship them so hard :'D) and an Eyeshield 21 one shot with a Riku/Sena pairing (and yes, it's yaoi, and no, you do NOT have to read it if it offends you; I had a flame on my shounen-ai story (with bad grammar to boot) that really didn't boost my somewhat low self esteem). You can basically ship Sena with anyone - my favorites are Juu/Sena, or 4021 (their jersey numbers - it's kinda like khr's character shorthands XP), and Hiru/Sena, or 121 (January 21st is Hiru/Sena day! Squee!) But I digress; feel free to check out them out, should they ever leave the rough draft phase. ._.;

Bai Bai!

- Failure-chan


	6. Chapter 6

Hinata hasn't fainted in the past 3 or so years.

As a young child continuing onto her early adolescent years, the petite kunoichi was easily flustered and her friends were accustomed to her habit of capsizing from mass embarrassment (much to her chagrin, she learned that occasionally her friends would place a wager on how many times she did so (she pouted at her dear friend Kiba for boasting about winning the most amongst the group)). However, once she reached 14, and the council's threats against Hinata's position as the heiress were growing, she decided to pick up the pace a little. Luckily, Neji desired the change of the Hyuuga traditions as much as she did (after a very long period of refusing to accept her and outright hating her) and offered to help solidify her stance in the Main Branch; Hanabi also aided their cause because she believed her elder sister was more suitable for the role than she, and thus began the intense training. Having trained with her little sister and pseudo-brother during said time period has vastly improved her composure in especially distressing situations, which impressed the disagreeing councilmen when she presented herself for the heiress position. Even her friends were taken aback slightly when they witnessed the newer bluenette (some were sad the betting game was over).

Hyuuga Hinata has matured to a sophisticated, collected, young women.

* * *

><p>But now, standing in front of her new peers, she can feel the urge to disappear into the welcoming darkness of her mind to avoid her peers' stares as her cheeks flush the reddest they've ever been.<p>

She is just as concerned for little Haruhi as the rest of the guys are—the upcoming physicals are threatening to reveal the crossdresser's secret and the Host Club are scrambling to find a way to conceal her femininity. Even though her acquaintance with the girl is small, she can feel the friendship blooming between the two of them. Should the looming examination expose the brunette's true nature, she will be unable to work at the Host Club, the only time the two can meet—she is willing to do anything to prevent that.

But Hinata is unsure if _this _is something she can do willingly without dying of pure awkwardness.

"Hey sempai, this—"

"Is a really good look for you!"

"Hika-chan and Kao-chan are right~! You are so pretty, Nata-chan~! Ne, Takashi?"

"Ah."

_'I want to hide in a corner...'_

The garment is a cotton pink that contrasts with her dark tresses and brings out the healthy glow of her pale skin. It's styled somewhat like a cheongsam in which there is a high collar, short sleeves, and tightly clings to her torso. In fact, her abundant chest almost wants to pop out of the restricting fabric, and Hinata embarrassingly has to undo one button lest she suffocates. The skirt flairs once it reaches her hip and has tulle underneath much like her school uniform; however, the end is barely a centimeter past mid thigh. Thankfully she's wearing white, thigh high socks to cover the rest of her legs, but she still has to wear the blasted heeled shoes; a cap of the same hue with a white cross and a clipboard complete it—a nurse's outfit.

Since the second years' and the third years' examinations were over, Honey and Mori agreed to masquerade as doctors (Hinata highly doubted they wouldn't be recognized due to their statures and fame) to watch over Haruhi. The two seniors were adorning white lab coats and fake glasses with a spiral pattern, making them seem even more ridiculous (although she'd never say it aloud lest she break the poor blond's heart). Somehow, the twins persuaded her into tagging along—which led to the present moment.

"Hinata, you should wear glasses like us—your pretty eyes would give you away~!"

"That's a great idea, Honey-sempai!" Tamaki looks around for a pair, but upon the realization there isn't any more of them lying around, he snatches Kyoya's glasses off his face and gently places them on her—the only reason Tamaki succeeds is because said glasses-bearing friend is horribly distracted for some odd reason (although some are able to guess why).

If the light were to hit the lens at just the right angle, there would be a gleam that cover her lavender eyes. But in her current position, the glasses emphasize the tint of color rather than shield it, and make her eyes seem all the more alluring. The boys try their best to hide their blushes.

The petite bluenette tilts her heads confusedly at their reactions, which causes the group to redden even more so.

"R-Right then," Tamaki breaks the silence, clearing his throat. "Hikaru and Kaoru should join the rest of their classmates and look after Haruhi. Honey-sempai, Mori-sempai, and Hinata-chan, go associate yourselves with the doctors. I'll go get ready."

Nodding, they all go to their respective places, although Hinata asks the seniors to wait a few seconds and turns to her charge, "Kyoya-san, would you need these glasses?" She's surprised she's not having a headache by wearing a prescription pair, and they almost seem just like mere low power reading glasses, but maybe Kyoya would still need them. What kind of protector would leave the protectee blind?!

The charge in question is brought of his reverie when he notices Hinata in front of him. He clears his throat slightly before saying, "I can manage fine without them, Hinata-san. It would be best for you to wear them to hide your eyes." Who is he kidding, everyone would know who she is even without looking at her unique eyes—still, might as well let Tamaki have his fun with this little ruse. "You should catch up with Honey-sempai and Mori-sempai soon."

"Ah, I see. Then I will take my leave, Kyoya-san." She bows her head and then jogs over to her two sempai, and soon all three leave for the doctors and nurses' stations.

His gaze lingers on the bluenette's back as she walks with her upperclassmen with a smile on her face, although he's a little perturbed by Honey's close contact with her—_'No one __seriously_ _has to be_ that close_ to a person, especially someone like'—_Kyoya sighs as his hand habitually raises to his face, but upon touching nothing, he stops and remembers _where_ exactly the glasses are currently.

"Kyoya~! I'm ready to save my daughter!" He turns around to see his blond dunce of a friend approach with a wig in his hand, the color and style of it an exact match to Haruhi's hair. He allows himself a mischievous smirk.

_'This is sure to be interesting.'_

* * *

><p>The twins can barely contain their laughter, the duo holding their bare stomachs as they slightly double over due to the hilarity of the situation. The nurse and many first year girls are staring confused at their Prince standing with a brown wig and his shirt open (although that doesn't mean they're unhappy, oh no, <em>not at all<em>, with the view) as Haruhi peeks out of the changing curtain, sighing at her sempai's actions.

Kyoya decides to wait a minute or two in order to bask in the great feeling satisfaction. Now, he's not saying he's offended from Tamaki's comment about being a homosexual side character, but he can admit that Tamaki somewhat deserves what's happening to him right now... The second-year feels a tug on his sleeve, and he looks down to see his housemate peering at him curiously and with a hint of amusement. "You knew this would happen, right?"

"Considering this was a strategy planned by Tamaki... I knew from the start it would fall through." Hinata giggles. "But not to worry, I had a private room with a nurse sworn to secrecy already prepared for this moment. It wouldn't sit well with me if we lost a source of revenue." He can see the surprise in her eyes at his back-up plan. "I may have forgotten to mention that all of the doctors and nurses present are from _my _family's hospital."

"So that's why you weren't worried at all when the examinations were approaching... But still, if the whole thing resulted in Tamaki's humilation," The bluenette chuckles again as she looks over to see Tamaki frozen in shock, but then refocuses on Kyoya in order to state her point, her cheeks flushing, "why did I have to wear this... t-thing?" Her hands gesture the outfit she's adorning, and Kyoya tries his best not to stare too long.

"Ah... that was a bit of fun the others wanted to indulge themselves in." Hinata's mouth twitches down into a frown for a brief moment. "Everyone else already wears costumes on a daily basis, so they thought it would be interesting to have you dress up as well." However, Kyoya muses, he doesn't quite like the stares from the other first years present that are not paying attention to the blond idiot. He glares at any students that think it's okay to _ogle_ at her attire, and relishes in the fearful looks on their faces as they turn away. That's better. "Now it seems like it's a good time to escort Haruhi to her room to have a _proper_ examination." The two walk over to the bemused brunette, and the other hosts (sans a withering away Tamaki) all gather around her to bring her to the nearby room. Once the door safely closes behind her, a loud scream grabs the club's attention. Hinata notices that the third years already ditched their doctor disguise and are back in their regular uniforms_—_something she wishes she has the opportunity to.

A girl is crouched on the floor, obviously shaken as she recounts an unfortunate meeting with a suspicious looking man that's lurking the hallways. The twins recall a "quack doctor" and Kyoya remembers the man as well. "Ah, now I remember... he's not of my hospital." The group pauses at the revelation.

"... Pervert."

"Well, it's spring, the season of weird people."

"True~."

"He'll get caught soon enough unless he hides in a nearby classroom."

...

Haruhi hears the curtains rustling behind her, and turns around to see a man (possibly a doctor?) creeping inside with his back facing her. "Umm... I'm already in here.." He frantically turns around and swiftly approaches her.

"No! Please don't make any noise, I just need to find my dau_—_" And in the next second, the "doctor" is pinned to the wall, two pencils holding up his arms by the sleeves, dangerously close to his flesh. Haruhi hears a familiar set of voices.

"First, beauty that catches people's attention."

"Second, unbeatable riches."

"Third, the way to be a gentleman, not able to look over ugly commoners' crimes."

"Even if the sun forgives you..." Haruhi feels a weight on her shoulders, and looks up at the hand that's offering a blazer. "These cherry blossoms won't forgive you!"

"We, the Ouran Host Club, are here!" Everyone is standing in front of her, solemn expressions with menacing frowns towards the intruder. Even her docile Hinata-sempai is glaring at the man as she holds on a precariously sharp pencil. They all look like they're going to murder the man.

Haruhi falters. _'What the heck is going on?!'_

* * *

><p><em>'Everyone's going back to normal,' <em>Hinata notes with a smile as she stands besides the two third years and her charge (whose glasses are returned and perched on his nose once more). Tamaki is trying to hug his daughter again, despite his lack of a shirt; the twins are declaring him as the true pervert, and are pulling him off.

"Hinata-sempai, you looked pretty cool back there." Hinata sees Haruhi smiling up at her, and can't help her sisterly instincts to pat her head.

"Of course! I couldn't let anyone harm my little kouhai."

"That was a cool line, sempai." She hears one of the twins place a hand on her right shoulder.

"Yeah, you sound like a shounen manga hero or something. Especially with that pencil thing you did! You could totally be an awesome ninja!" The other twin copies his brother by placing his hand on her left shoulder. And suddenly, the club's attention is directed towards her.

"Nata-chan, you were sooooo cool! I was going to come in with a flying kick, but you were so much faster~!" Honey's eyes were sparkling—when the doctor was trying to get down, Hinata yanked out the pencils that were deeply embedded into the wall, and he saw some residue stuck to the pencil, as well as a hole and some cracks. He rejoiced at finally meeting a strong person. He's not one to fight all the time, but he still get his blood pumping at the thought of a good match (call it fighter's instincts). Ooh, he really can't wait to fight her! Behind him, Mori nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"It's no wonder, really; she _did _say she has a martial arts scholarship!" Tamaki cups her head and holds it close to his face. "She's a rose brimming with beauty and grace, with the dangerous thorns to hurt anyone that tries to hold onto her!" Kyoya watches as she sputters at his compliment, her face turning into a shade of red similar to the aforementioned flower. Indeed, he muses, she does possess great strength, contradictory to her gentle appearance and thus forming a larger mystery.

Who is she?

* * *

><p>Tada! Another chapter for you lot, hope you enjoy it! Sorry for the rather long delay, and I inform you that I do not intend to put this on hiatus or leave it unfinished for so long! There's still a lot for the lovely group to experience, and some romancing to be had!<p>

I do apologize that I'm taking so long to update on my stories. I've been feeling quite unmotivated for a while, so I decided that I needed to get out of my rut and give you guys what you want. Hope this chapter satisfies you!

—The Doctor


	7. Chapter 7

The Host Club is now open and in full swing, sans two mischievous redheads. The two previously took _too _many liberties with managing the club website (A "nude" picture of Haruhi's "masculine" body isn't taking it too far, right?), thus the King has decided the Little Devil types are suspended from their hosting duties, as well as given cleaning responsibilities to further make up for their transgression. The two are immensely bored, all of the hosts talking to their customers right now, meaning they have no one to talk to/mess around with. That is, before they remember a certain, _special_ person within the group that has no hosting duties at all, what with being a (blatant) girl. With that idea in their minds, they try to spot the girl, looking first at Kyoya's station (for some reason, she hangs out with him the most), then at Honey and Mori's part of the room—the former taking a great liking to the new student—until they locate her at a vacant part of the room that has a window facing the gardens. The girl has her back towards the room as she faces the view, and it looks like she's... meditating?

Oh, this is going to be _good_.

* * *

><p>"Kaoru, you ready?"<p>

"Yeah. Now we have to be really quiet..."

Once neither Tamaki nor Haruhi is paying attention to them, they rummage through their schoolbags to find the perfect item for their plan, and gently place their shoes on the floor. Two pairs of sock-clad feet daintily tiptoe towards the stationary and serene figure at the other side of the room. Underneath her dress, they can see bumps that indicate her crossed legs, and her hands are resting on her knees, the middle fingers and thumbs touching. Her eyes are closed, lips forming a small smile. Other than the rise and fall of her chest, there are no signs of movement from her as she meditates.

It's the perfect time to scare her.

Wicked golden eyes look at an identical pair, their mouths forming a devilish smile as one of them prepares an air horn. They're now three meters away from her... two meters away... one...

"I hope you're not planning to do anything behind me, Hikaru-san, Kaoru-san." Both stop on their tracks as their eyes widen in surprise. The second year female is not facing them, and her body is giving no indication of noticing the twins' presence. Eventually, she looks over her shoulder to offer an amused smile to the flabbergasted pair. "That air horn you have there would be really unpleasant if it were close to my ear, ne Kaoru?"

The aforementioned ginger lets out a nervous chuckle as he scratches the back of his head with the hand not holding the noisy device, "Yeah... It would be really loud and obnoxious, right Hikaru?"

"A-Ah, yeah, totally..." They gulp simultaneously as the bluenette rises from her sitting position to face them—both remember _very_ well how much strength their upperclasswoman possesses from the scuffle during physical exams. Even if the two tower over her by five or so inches, she can still be quite intimidating. Hinata is now within arm's length of them, and Hikaru and Kaoru slightly wince as they await her retribution with closed eyes. They hear her sigh, and then they both feel a little pressure atop their heads. _'Goodbye world.'_

After a few seconds, the twins realize they are in fact _not _about to be throttled across the room nor are they be crushed by the hand resting on their unruly mop of hair. In actuality, it looks like she's... patting their heads.

Hinata is on her tiptoes as she lightly reaches up to the duo's heads. Her face shows no hint of annoyance; rather, it looks like she's entertained by their actions. Their actions remind her of her dear friends back in her village. It's a well-known fact that Naruto is a notorious prankster, and even at 17 years old, he still maintains his boisterous attitude. Her old teammate Kiba is also a huge fan of pulling jokes during practice, especially at Shino's expense. He and Akamaru are a impish pair that love to mess around. Oh, how she misses them!

Finally, the two get over their shock as she retracts her hands from their hands, her smile still present. Their trademark smirks grace their faces again, and then return the favor as they both place a hand on her head.

"Sempai, you sure are cool—you didn't even have to turn around to see us from behind! It's like you can see from the back of your head or something!"

"Maybe we should call you a ninja from now on... or what was it called? Oh! A kunoichi! That's a female ninja right?"

Hinata's cheeks reddens as those phrases hit too close to home for her own comfort. She struggles to maintain her composure as they go on about being "a badass kunoichi" that "can totally kick anyone's ass", and the two laugh as they watch their sempai fluster.

"Hikaru! Kaoru! What are you planning on doing to little Hinata-san! She does not need the two of you bothering her when you shouldn't be talking to anyone!" They sigh as they've been caught, and then go back to their seat after a final pat on Hinata's head (and once the blond turns around, the twins make a face by pulling one eyelid down and sticking out their tongues).

Haruhi notices her classmates acting up again before shaking her head. Man, they can be so immature sometimes...

"Hey Haruhi-kun! Do you happen to know other differentiating factors about the twins beside their part?"

"Well, if I had to say..."

* * *

><p>Haruhi should not have said anything.<p>

With her unintentionally insensitive remark about Hikaru's nature yesterday, the twins started arguing, and then that argument blew up until the two of them could no longer stand to be in each other's presence. Hikaru ended up dying his hair a flamingo pink, while Kaoru dyed his an electric blue. Now, there's no way anyone could confuse one with the other.

And it's miserable.

Hinata sighs as she enters the cafeteria with the rest of the Host Club in tow. Even when they are fighting, the two are in complete sync as they order the same lunch (and wow, there are a lot of combinations!). Honey tries to placate the situation and finalize a peace treaty with strawberry cake. However, the third year rambles about how he wants a share also, meaning they would have to do thirdsies and oh dear, there's only one strawberry in the middle so he hopes that it's alright with the two of them if he can have it because he really likes strawberry and it's his favorite kind of cake and—

Honey runs to Mori's side as the twins start yelling (once again, in unison) with tears in his eyes and bits of cake stuck to his hair.

Tamaki chastises the twins about causing a ruckus, but that goes downhill as he notice his precious daughter and gasp, she has a homemade lunch box! Once again, the blond is off in his dream world of Haruhi assembling a lunch with all of her love that he will indubitably accept with all of his—

"Don't your fantasies have any logic at all?" Honestly, Kyoya does not understand what goes on in that idiot's head. Hinata seems to share his sentiments as she looks up to him with a weary expression, and they both offer a small smile to each other in understanding. It's nice that some people have common sense. Unlike the bickering twins, who are now hurtling food at each other and utensils, and at least Tamaki has good enough reflexes to duck under the fork that may or may not be intended to hit his eye—

Ah, it landed in the vice principal's soup. The liquid splashes onto his face, and the man calmly wipes his face as he ask who is responsible for the mess.

And Tamaki is unfortunately between the twins as they point at each other.

* * *

><p>After school, the Host Club evenly divides the labor amongst themselves as they set out to clean the cafeteria, as per the vice principal's instructions. As Hianta mops the floor, she notices a lack of twins in the room; now where would they go, since it is actually their fault this is happening. She contemplates trying to find them, but then decides against it since she's still unfamiliar with the large building. Maybe she can ask someone later...<p>

"Hinata-san, you have been mopping the same spot for the past few minutes." She looks up to see her bespectacled charge staring curiously at her (and she refrains from laughing at the sight of the boy holding a duster in his hand).

"Well... I noticed that Hikaru and Kaoru aren't here, even though they are also responsible for earlier, so I thought I might go looking for them, but... I'm not quite used to the large school, yet..."

"It'll be fine, Hinata-san. Their little squabble will come to an end eventually, so we shouldn't worry about them too much. It's better to focus on the task at hand and then we'll talk about it later."

"...Okay."

The Host Club finishes the punishment and because of how long it took, not to mention the two missing hosts, they decide not to open today. Tamaki slumps in his chair, unused to the manual labor, and mutters how more worn out everyone is because of the spat. Kyoya is financially feeling the impact of the twins' fight, and he emits a killing intent that makes Hinata shiver a little as he directs a smile to the brunette that is responsible for the feud. Honey morosely nibbles at his cake as he remarks how this is the first ever fight between the twins, and how inseparable the two were even in kindergarten when they didn't play with anyone else. Tamaki is unnaturally serious as he mentions how closed-off the two were during middle school, and he opines that maybe this fight can help them expand their worlds a little, so it might be best to leave them alone.

Hinata and Haruhi look at each other, and, as if telepathically, they both understand that if this is their first fight, they won't know when to stop especially if they continue the violence. Someone could get hurt.

This could spell trouble.

* * *

><p>Tamaki accidentally activates all of the traps the twins set up for the other, and after catching up to them in the garden, asks annoyed, "Is this all of the traps you troublesome twins set up?"<p>

"Hikaru/Kaoru, ask him." Again, their synchronization agitates them and the yelling match begins as the rest of the group catch up to the three of them.

Stop joking! I am the only one troubled here. I don't have to look like exactly like Kaoru. Being treated by others as you, I'm sick and fed up with all that! Actually, I hate you the most!"

"Regarding that, I've always wanted to tell you too... Look at this!" From his coat pocket, he pulls out a wooden, cat-shaped doll, and Tamaki freezes in horror while the rest stare in confusion. "This is the cursed voodoo doll I got from Nekozawa-sempai! Your name has already been engraved on the back of the doll—now I will let you taste the same pain and anguish as the voodoo doll!"

Haruhi is fed up with the situation, and angrily approaches them saying "Hey, that's going too far!" while ignoring Tamaki's pleas for her to run away. Before Kaoru can finish his next sentence, the brunette is yelling at them to stop as she hits both of them on the head. The duo stare at her in shock as she chides the two, "Don't use that kind of thing for a stupid quarrel! Both of you are bad, and causing trouble for people around you is worse! Now, apologize to everyone!

"If you two don't make up and shake hands now, you two will never set foot in my house in this lifetime!"

Hinata notices the change in the twins' atmosphere, as if the fight never happened, and catches a glimpse of their playful grins. _'Don't tell me...'_

"If we call it a truce, we can go to your house?" Kaoru now exposes the doll's back, the word fake etched onto it, and Hikaru pulls out a script containing everything they have said for the entire day. Everyone freezes at the implication that the entire is _staged_ as the twins engage in their "Forbidden Love" routine apologizing to each other. Hinata falters, and Kyoya standing next to her pushes up his glasses as he exhales.

_'We've been tricked...'_

* * *

><p>The twins wash out their dyes as the club is wrapping up their activities, both a bit lost in their own world as they remember what Haruhi said when they were playing the "Guess Who's Hikaru and Kaoru" game. <em>"Eh, did you two switch? Why is Kaoru's hair pink today?"<em>

It seems that someone has crossed the barrier of "their world" from "the outside". How do they handle this?

"I suggest we adopt Haruhi to be a member of our family."

"Ah, that's quite a good idea."

"What's a good idea, Hikaru?"

The twins to see Hinata inquisitively standing behind the two, her hands behind her back as she waits for the answer. "Hmm? What's the good idea, Hikaru?"

"We are going to—wait." They look at each other's hair again, before turning to face the bluenette astonished. They already washed out every part of their hair, so how could she know? "How do you know I'm Hikaru?"

She hums before considering her answer. "Well, I can't tell you apart based on personality, unlike Haruhi-chan—that is, not yet, anyway. I have my own way of knowing."

"And what is it?"

"Well, I guess it's because my Otou-sama is also a twin, and when I was little, I tended to mix him up a little with my uncle," She giggles at the memory before continuing, "But then, I eventually learned how to differentiate between them, and I guess it applied to you guys as well, since it turns out that I was right two times." When she says two times, they try to recall a moment where she identifies them, and then they remember that she called Kaoru the right name when they tried to scare her.

"What's your method?"

"It's a bit hard to explain..." _'There's no way I can tell them their chakras, no matter how small, are different. They would have no idea, and then I would have to explain, and that would expose me!'_

"Hinata-san?"

"Ah, I'll be right there, Kyoya-san! Well, I guess I'll have to tell you another time; I'll see you two tomorrow." She hurries to her classmate's side as they leave the room, Hinata mentally breathing out a sigh of relief.

She hopes she'll never have to tell anyone about anything ninja-related. Who knows what could happen?

* * *

><p>Tada~! It's been a month, lovelies, and OP finally delivers!<p>

I hope this is to your liking. Honestly, I just wanted to get this over with because I _really_ want to get to a certain part of the manga (and yes, the scenes replicated here are from the manga, so I'm sorry if you've only seen the anime and are confused right now; I highly suggest reading the series because it's _so much_ better than how the anime ended). Anyway, here it is. Not sure how I feel about the ending. Eh...

Also, very important! As in, _**IT'S SO IMPORTANT, I HAVE TO USE BOLD, ITALICS, UNDERLINE, AND CAPS IN ORDER TO STRESS MY POINT**_: I put a poll up asking you guys, my dear readers, to carefully consider which ongoing story of mine that I should focus on the most. For those who read my other major story, _Watch_, and my other, smaller story, _Sweetie, Get Laid_, I will eventually update and ask you guys to do the same thing here. I need to know which one needs to be finished first so I don't leave anyone hanging (that is, anyone hanging more so than they already are, heh).

Okay, it's quite late, going to end it here. Tata!

—The Doctor


	8. Chapter 8

"Hinata-sempai... do you know where we are?"

"Haruhi-chan, I am as lost as you right now... Ah, I do recall Kyoya-san saying we would be going somewhere that his family owns before we left. But I do not remember anything other than that. I think I fell asleep in the car..."

"You two left together...? Does that mean you live near each other... or are you actually staying at his house?!"

"Well, I—"

"Sorry for the wait~!" The two females look up to see two identical, smiling maids. They look awfully similar to someone (or someones) they know... "We have finished preparing your swimsuits!" From behind, a myriad of mannequins slide into view, all of them donning a different swimsuit of varying colors and patterns. The students gape.

Haruhi's eyes widen as she sputters incredulously, "Wai—swimsuits?!"

"Why, yes!" a maid chirps.

"We forgot to display Hinata-sama's options, which explains our delay."

"But those are ready too!" Even more figures appear, also wearing multiple swimwear. Embarrassingly enough, the figures are showcasing a more _mature _variety compared to the brunette's cute ones. Inwardly, she curses her figure.

Hinata starts blushing, "Are you saying that _I _have to wear one too?"

"Those are Masters Hitachiin's orders!" Haruhi's eye twitches, _'I should have expected this from those two!'_

"Now..." A pair of arms encircle the small brunette's waist.

"Without further ado..." Another pair wrap around the bluenette in a similar fashion.

"Let's begin!"

* * *

><p>When the maids leave, the two are quick to look around for their clothes. Much to their chagrin, their original clothes aren't present, but they notice some articles in another corner.<p>

"We're lucky they had some extra clothes lying around..." Haruhi pats down the yellow hoodie and plaid shorts appreciatively. Hinata tugs at her shawl, a pale lavender cloth that is long enough for her to wrap it around her body in order to cover most of her torso.

"It sure is. Hikaru-san and Kaoru-san meant well... I think. But their gift is a tad too... much." The brunette nods understandingly and motions at the door. The two girls peer out of the door, and are blinded by the sudden sunlight. They shield their eyes until they adjust to their surroundings.

It's like they're transported to another country.

The pair stands amidst luscious tropical flora, the tall palm trees shading the two for the most part, but the small beams of light slip through the cracks between the leaves. From afar, they can hear the calls of exotic birds and smell the genuine coconut.

"Sempai... I think this is a dream..."

"It sure feels like one, Haruhi-chan."

All of a sudden, a small blur slams into Haruhi. "Haruhi-chan~ will you drink coconut milk with me~?"

"Honey-sempai?" Hinata blinks. The senior is wearing a pair of yellow swim trunks outlined in bright blue. The aforementioned blond turns around to face the second voice, and his smile widens.

"Nata-chan~! Drink coconut milk with me, too!" He releases one arm around the first year's waist to grab onto the second year's wrist. With ease, he pulls the two girls out of the jungle area and into a clear area. In front of them is a large, shimmering pool. Upon further inspection, the bluenette spots the two twins within the pool, one on a inflated raft and the other standing next to him, and higher up is the tall Mori preparing for a dive atop the diving board. She sees her blond classmate lounging on a beach chair, and her other classmate/charge wearing a flower printed shirt and sitting at a parasol-mounted table with a glass in hand.

Hinata gently removes her wrist from the blond's hold—who is still dragging around poor Haruhi—to stand next to the noiret, glancing curiously at the area again. He takes notice of his tenant and gestures to the seat next to him. She gratefully accepts the offer and also takes the offered drink. "Ano, Kyoya-san, where is this place exactly?"

"Well Hinata-san, my family created this Aqua Garden. As you remember from the physical exams, the Otori family primarily deals in hospitals and recovery." She nods in affirmation and he smiles again. "Well... you could call this place 'recovery related', right?" She giggles at the distant reference.

"Well, I guess if you put it that way, I couldn't really argue that." Hinata smiles demurely, but within her expressive lilac depths, he can see the mischievous knowing glint. He smirks.

"I'm glad we are on the same page. After the whole Shiro incident, I felt that we deserved a rest." She winces when he brings up the elementary school boy. He was rather rude when he first visited the Club—when he saw Hinata, he bluntly asked if she was blind and started waving his hand in front of her face, not that Hinata wasn't used to such treatment—and requested help from "The King" (giving the blond an unnecessary ego boost) in order to woo a girl that was moving away. She was glad the whole ordeal was settled and Shiro was happy now. However, the kid started going to the club from time to time to steal Tamaki's customers, much to the latter's dismay. He was still a little impolite, but his gratitude for their help lessened the insults to a degree.

She sighs at the memories of those couple of days, and shakes her head. While the setting is a tad garish, she can admit that this is quite relaxing. And she certainly needs a break from high school antics and being an undercover bodyguard. He raises his glass, and Hinata matches his action, the two drinks clinking together. They continue to quietly drink and watch the others. Haruhi is trying to explain a "vinyl pool" to the twins who are mistaking it for an inflatable raft, and when the debate becomes a bit heated Tamaki interrupts in order to not hurt Haruhi's feelings because "she's free to imagine whatever she wants", making the first year sigh.

Honey chooses this time to walk up to her wearing a bunny-pattern floating ring, asking her to join him in the pool. He grabs her one wrist with both hands, and Hinata offers a brief look to the bespectacled boy before leaving with the small third year. He then grabs the other female of the group, yelling "Let's play in the pool~!" The honor student looks down to see the blond urging her to the pool, and asks if he really needs the inner tube in order to swim, to which he replies, "This way, it's a lot cuter~!"

Hinata coughs to hide her amusement. _'He may be cute, but he's still deceptive__.' _After Haruhi turns down the offer, the two martial artists make their way to the current where Mori is already waiting for them.

Kyoya also picks up on the sly comment, and brings it up to the oblivious Haruhi and Tamaki, who are also dwelling on that topic. "Try putting the subject in the sentence." He observes their curious expressions, and can almost guess as to what they're thinking:

_It's a lot cuter~!_

_It's = I am_

_I am a lot cuter~!_

"It was calculated?!" He pushes his glasses up. From afar, they hear a "Hey guys, look at this~!" and turn to face the source. They gape. Mori is swimming, but not moving from his current position due to the opposite direction of the current, Hinata is sitting seiza style on his back, her expression mixed between amusement and embarrassment, and on her lap is the blond who's waving at them.

"We're not moving forward at all!" Suddenly, Tamaki's attention to the strange third years (and second year) is directed towards the impish twins, who are shooting from their water guns. His drenched hair obstructs his view, but it doesn't stop him from glaring at them.

"Tamaki, let's play."

"Me and Kaoru vs. Tamaki."

Tamaki towels off his face as he rejects their invitation, "Who wants to play such childish—"

Kaoru takes both of Haruhi's hands in his, his eyes giving her a hilariously serious stare. "Hey Haruhi, let's get married right now. And then let's go on a honeymoon."

Kaoru's "proposal" prompts the blond to grab a water gun and give chase to the twins. "Who said anyone's going to marry you guys?!" Soon, Haruhi is left by herself, sipping on the fruity drink Kyoya offered her. It isn't long until a shadow gradually moves towards her and she looks up to see the third year tower over her, droplets trickling down his torso and hair. She picks up a nearby towel to offer to the upperclassman, asking if he's taking a rest and if he wants to maybe take a sip of her juice? He merely stands there staring at the offerings, tilting his head to let the water escape from his ear. She turns to face the other senior asking if he wants to come out, but the question dies out as she gawks at the spectacle in front of her.

Honey is off in la-la land for the time being as his legs powerfully kick in the current to stay at the same place—that in itself is not that strange to the brunette, but what _is _strange is the bluenette that is being held bridal style in his arms. The girl in his arms is blushing a deep scarlet and meekly saying that Honey can stop because she might be too heavy and she doesn't want to impede his swimming, but the blond brushes it off with another grin responding he's perfectly fine with carrying her, thank you very much, and thinks it's good fun. Hinata can't bring herself to argue back against the senior and looks down to her lap._  
><em>

Haruhi sighs. _'It's amazing how he can live in such a mysterious way.'_

Meanwhile, Tamaki and the twins are engaged in water warfare, the blond shooting erratically at their direction hoping to get a shot and have them repent for the ridiculous "proposal". Realizing his current tactic isn't working, Tamaki devises another trick to hit the twins. Suddenly, he launches to his right side with the gun pointed at them, shouting his special move, "Take this! Deadly Blow Sideways Rolling Beam!" He manages to get at least one shot at both of the Hitachiin twins before he lands on the ground still rolling out of control.

Knocking his head against an innocuously placed lever.

Unbeknownst to the two inside the current, a wave rises above their heads, and it's only until they look up that they see the water crash down on them. They both yell as the blond stops kicking in his shock, and the two are carried down the current in a rapid pace. Haruhi and Mori quickly notice the swept up Honey and Hinata, yelling out their names (Haruhi forgets to be shocked at how _loud _Mori-sempai is) in shock. The tall noiret is quick to sprint towards the body of water, disregarding the the twins' yell.

That was a bad idea.

"Mori, that way is—!"

"The counter current, stupid!"

And just like that, the third year, who is currently regretting his hasty actions, is going the opposite way of his cousin and Hinata. The twins deafeningly announce the worsened situation, and Haruhi asks if there's a way to stop it. Kyoya calmly (yet there is a hint of worry in his tone) states that nothing can stop the flow because the lever is broken so Tamaki suggests going after the pair first. He runs at the same direction of the blond and bluenette and just as he's about to take another step, he and the others notice something _peculiar _about his path.

"A CROCODILE, OF ALL PLACES?!"

"UWAA!"

"RUN AWAY!"

"Ah!" Mori-sempai is back—more drenched and a bit more defeated than before, but back.

* * *

><p>Tamaki and the twins are panting as they lie on the ground, with Haruhi and Mori looking just as tired (the former more so than the latter) as the rest. The group hears a voice, and turns to face Kyoya, who is jotting notes down on a small notebook.<p>

"The crocodile pasture is dangerous, the piranha pond should be fixed again, and there is a problem with the position of the lever..." He mutters something about having a talk with the infrastructure department before he looks over to see the club's deadpan stare. He offers a polite smile. "Thanks to you I collected useful data." _'WHAT?!' _"You see, the facilities were still at an experimental stage."

Haruhi mumbles, "We were the guinea pigs..."

The twins take in the area and cringe at the unfamiliarity of the place. "Where on earth is this..."

"It must be the North gate's subtropical zone."

"I hear some suspicious crying sound."

"Ah, in that case..." He starts walking towards a nearby hut as the others stare inquisitively, and notes, "It's time for squall experience service."

It starts _pouring_.

* * *

><p>"—ta-chan? Nata-chan?" Hinata grumbles before her eyes open, and then she quickly closes them when she feels the pitter patter of the raindrops on her face. She groggily sits up and observes; this area is much denser in wildlife and the onslaught of rain deafens the bird calls. She brushes her fingers against the large leaves underneath her, and finally meet's Honey's eyes, who looks very worried but unhurt. "It doesn't hurt anywhere?" She shakes her head and the blond sighs in relief.<p>

"We should make our way back to the others... Knowing them, they ran around trying to find us but got lost. And it's a bit hard to see through the rain." She takes the hair band that she always wears on her wrist and pulls her long hair into a high ponytail; the wet tresses tend to obscure her vision, so she reasons that moving them out of the way can aid her in her search (of course, she has the Byakugan, but she can't use that in front of a civilian!).

Honey nods. "It's better for us to find them first!"

Hinata props her arms against the ground to rise on her feet, but then she stumbles. He reflexively reaches out to steady her arm, and she uses the free one to grab his shoulder. It doesn't seem like she has a broken or sprained ankle; it's more likely that she's just exhausted, he perceives. She sighs, "I guess I'm a bit more tired than I thought..."

"Here, get on my shoulders!"

"Eh?" She gawks as the senior bends down and places his arms behind his back next to sides. "No, no, no, no, no, no! I-I can't do that! I can walk just fine!"

"It's fine, Nata-chan! I've had plenty of time to rest while you were out, so it's no trouble at all! At least this way, we can move closer to the others while you rest up."

"But—I—" She lets out a breath. There's no point in arguing this; they will have a better chance of finding them if they move now than later. Shyly, she approaches his back and wraps her arms around his neck, then she presses his weight against his back as he rises from his crouched position, causing her to wrap her legs completely around his waist. Despite his smaller stature, he is able to carry her steadily as they walk through the jungle, her feet not once brushing against the ground. She takes the time to admire the nature—it looks wild and a bit intimidating, but therein lies its exotic beauty. The rain eventually dies down to a light drizzle before stopping and letting the sun shine through. "I wonder how the others are doing..."

"I'm sure they're alright. Kyo-chan's family owns this place, so he knows where to go, and that means Hika-chan, Kao-chan, and Haru-chan are going to be fine. Tama-chan, although a bit melodramatic, will be able to calmly find us with the rest. Hmm, I'm more worried about Takashi, really. He tends to be really clumsy when he worries about me, although you wouldn't think of him that way with his blank face and strong body."

"It sounds like he cares about you deeply."

"Mhm! Takashi is my relative!" Her eyes widen at the revelation—they don't look anything alike! "For generations, Takashi's family served mine, and then two generations ago, his family married into mine, thus making us cousins. Even if we're all family now, it's like the Morinozuka blood makes him serve me."

She hums in contemplation. "It sounds a bit like my clan. And... Neji-nii-san."

"Hmm, the Hyuugas? I've never heard of them until you came along."

"We're a bit... secretive."

He doesn't push that subject. "Who's Neji-nii-san?"

"Neji-nii-san wasn't really my brother... he was actually my cousin. But ever since he was born, he was given the duty to protect me, and when we were little, he played with me a lot, like the brother I've always wanted. It's a lot like you and Mori-sempai, but we were closely related by blood. His father was my father's twin brother."

"But why did he serve you?"

"Our family is structured with two branches: the Main House and the Branch House, and you were born into one or the other. My father was born minutes before my uncle, so he belonged to the Main House and my uncle belonged to the Branch House. The Branch House comprised of servants and bodyguards for the Main House. So when Neji-nii-san was born, it was his duty to protect a child of the Main House, me.

"Neji-nii-san resented me for that. Why was he, a stronger, better child, destined to serve weak and feeble me? Why was he born into the lower house, and I in the upper house? He was so frustrated that he took it out on me. But over time, he got better. He realized that destiny didn't rule his life, and he had the power to change his fate. It was then that we got closer."

"You keep using past tense." Ah, he's as sharp as always.

She smiles sadly. "Not too long ago... Neji-nii-san died. To protect me." Honey stops and turns his head to her, with a sympathetic look in his eyes. "I'm fine now... Neji-nii-san... he died without regrets. He passed away smiling.

"Now it's my job to protect what he left behind."

Honey starts walking again and they continue in companionable silence. Hinata taps his shoulder at one point to tell him that she's rested enough to start walking again, so Honey stoops low enough for her to place her feet on the ground. The bluenette wobbles a tad as she rises to her full height, but the blond provides a shoulder for support until she's ready. They continue at a slow pace, but then both of their ears pick up shouting... and signs of a fight!

"PUT THAT SMALL KID DOWN!"

"It's alright now, come this way!"

"H-Hold on!" That's Haruhi's voice!

The two nod and they both jump up to a tree, one grabbing a vine and the other leaping from one branch to another. As they near the commotion, they see Haruhi (who is probably mistaken for the small kid instead of Honey) and Mori (who is also mistaken as a suspicious person) being assaulted by armed guards. When one of the guards prepares his gun, Hinata propels herself from the branch with her foot out to kick it away as Honey yells out, "Takashi, Haru-chan, move out!" Together, the martial artists take out one guard.

The small army is shocked to silence, but then quickly move to incapacitate the new threats. "Where did these kids come from?!"

"What do you think you're doing, you small bra—!" Careful not to fuel her palms with chakra, Hinata slams an open palm to the man's abdomen and effectively sending him flying. She twirls around using her right foot as a pivot to press two fingers to her attacker from behind. His arm falls numbly along with the gun in his hold, and shrieks at the approaching roundhouse kick. From her peripheral vision, she sees the upperclassman flipping a man over his shoulder.

In a matter of minutes, all of the men are lying on the ground either groaning from sore body parts or rendered unconscious. In the middle stands Hinata and Honey with less than pleased expressions on their faces.

The blond wipes his hands of imaginary dirt, and lets out a small chuckle. "You dare to be so noisy when you can't even fight properly."

Hinata's eyes narrow while she crosses her arms over her chest. "If you ever mess with our friends..."

"You're a goner!" Honey finishes it off with a hand on his hip and the other pointing at no particular direction. Haruhi looks as lost as ever, while Mori stares at his cousin, used to this violence.

From the bushes, the rest of the Host Club appear, Tamaki embracing his "lost daughter" as the twins poke at the fallen men. Kyoya goes to check up on Hinata, but when he reaches her side, she can see a small blush on his face. She peers up at him curiously, but sighs when she receives no answer. _'What's causing that...?' _As Hikaru uses a stick to prod a man's head, he notes that even if he has no idea of what happened, everything must have been alright if Honey-sempai is here. Haruhi, still having no idea what's going on, asks in broken sentences how the short boy can do that, and Hikaru informs her of the Haninozuka's fighting prowess recognized throughout all of Japan.

Kaoru comments on how the tiny senior must have beaten them all up, but the aforementioned blond is quick to correct them. "I didn't do it all by myself! Nata-chan fought half of them and won~!"

"Really? As expected of Hinata-sempai."

"Yeah, didn't we say that she's a badass kunoichi?"

"Thank you Hinata-san for protecting my precious daughter! If it weren't for you and Honey-sempai, my Haruhi could have been hurt."

All three stop once their eyes land on the girl. Some of them start blushing, much like Kyoya is doing right now, and Hinata puts their blush to shame when she notices all of their attention on her. "W-What?"

Tamaki clears his throat. "Hinata-san... your dress is missing." She slowly mouths "My... dress?" to herself before looking down at her figure. Her blush darkens at least ten more shades when she finally acknowledges that she's standing in only her bathing suit. Hikaru and Kaoru silently high-five each other, congratulating their mother's impressive designing skills.

Hinata is donning a dark purple bikini that reveals more skin than she cares to admit—and sadly, this is the most _modest _one she can find. Her ponytail proves disadvantageous because the long curtain of hair that would have covered her body is now out of the way for the others to see. The top part has the straps tied and the knots resting atop her nape and across her back, and the middle of the front of the bra-like article is tethered together by multiple thin threads crossing over and making x's, exposing her sternum and a part of her breasts. The bikini bottom is also rather simple, and matches the top in which there are thin x's wrapping her hips.

She sputters, "H-Honey-sempai! Why didn't you tell me when I woke up!"

"Hmm?" he hums. "Well, I thought you looked just fine the way you were, and I knew that it would take too long to try to find the dress because it mostly likely was swept up by the water!" Hinata pouts when she discerns the impish twinkle in his eyes. _'While he's tiny and innocent-looking, he is _still _an 18 year old boy...' _Kyoya gets over his shock and drapes his flower-patterned shirt over her shoulders to cover her figure (and he is _not _thinking about how purple best compliments her pale skin, nope, not going there).

Honey then turns to face his cousin, and raises his hand to pat his head. "Takashi, I praise you for protecting Haru-chan. You weren't too lonely without me, right~?" The tall noiret deflects the question by looking in another direction, but Honey smiles all the same.

* * *

><p>Haruhi is <em>exhausted<em>. "I'll just go home and sleep..." she sighs.

Tamaki is hovering over her shoulder, his worried eyes taking in her tired form. She ignores his questions and rejects his offer of being carried with a cold shoulder. Hinata understands her kouhai's fatigue and chuckles at the King's attempt to alleviate it. The now buttoned-up shirt is long enough to reach her mid-thigh, and Hinata thanks her friend (at least, she likes to think that they've gone past the acquaintance stage) for his kindness, to which he responds with just a nod.

The twins are already planning their next adventure, much to her amusement. _'Haven't they learned anything from what happened today?' _"Next time, we'll get to go to the ocean!"

"You idiots, Haruhi isn't interested in that kind of—"

"If it's the ocean, I'd like to see it," Haruhi innocently states.

Hinata sighs. There goes her chance for a relaxing summer.

* * *

><p>Yoohoo~! Here's another chapter, as requested by <em>a lot <em>of you. And yes, I skipped the Shiro chapter. Just didn't feel like it, and I figured a lot more people would appreciate this one instead.

I quite like HoneyxHinata. You could call it a guilty pleasure of sorts for putting some in this chapter. And I like making Kyoya flustered by presenting a provocatively dressed Hinata in front of him. And yes, I like using purple because not only does it compliment Hinata, it's also the rose color that represents the "Cool" type host. Ohoho.

And noiret/noirette is a word I found on Urban Dictionary that refers to people with black hair.

Well, it looks like this story is winning in the popularity poll, so guess which one of my stories is going to be updated the most?

It's Watch!

Nah, I'm kidding, it's going to be Duty.

If any of you read Watch, or are planning to do so, just keep in mind that I'm completely rewriting the story, and I plan to update the chapters all at once. This way, new people don't get confused with the new content and the old content.

Maa maa, it's time for me to write another chapter! Ooh, it's the beach chapter~. I know a lot of you are looking forward to that as well. :)

Off to do some writing,  
>—The Doctor<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

It was supposed to be a fun day.

There was sunshine and clam hunting and laughter. Even a harmless, little wager to find out Haruhi's weakness (those middle school pictures were great motivators...). He would have loved to include Hinata in the game, but she was already standing next to Kyoya as he offered the small reward.

No one was supposed to get _hurt_.

Thankfully, no one actually _is _hurt. Physically, at least. But now...

"Are you a martial arts expert like Honey-sempai?!"

"Huh?"

"Then what?" He grabs the girl's shoulders as he stares into her chocolate eyes imploringly, his voice surprisingly level. "We were right here, but you didn't even call us. Trying to face three men by yourself. You're a girl, where do you get off being so foolhardy?"

"A man, a woman... those things don't matter, does it? When you encounter such a situation, you don't have the luxury to think about something like that." It's a very sound argument, he agrees. But it's also very naïve. The blond takes his hands off the girl so he doesn't hurt her with his clenching fists.

"Still think about it, stupid!" Uh oh, now the King is mad. And when his Royal Highness blows his top, all is not well in the kingdom.

Haruhi's eyes narrow into a glare, not all that intimidating because he towers over her. "What about Hinata-sempai?! She's the one that did all the fighting, despite her gender. She put herself in more danger by jumping into the fray than I did by throwing sea urchins at their faces!"

"You were more reckless than I was, Haruhi-chan."

The arguing pair turn to the third party involved as she moves from her place next to Kyoya. Gone is the gentle look in her eyes, her soft smile; instead, there's the hardened stare of a warrior with her mouth set in a straight line. "I wasn't in any sort of real danger when I fought them."

"But they were older and bigger! The one guy pulled out a knife!" Tamaki's eyes widen when he hears that little detail. Apparently, that's news to him and more fuel to the fire.

"They were child's play." Haruhi gapes at the harsh tone. "If I actually bothered to use any real strength against them, I would have killed them."

_That _sobers everyone up really quickly. Oh sure, he's aware of the bluenette's fighting prowess, but to kill...

"K-Kill?" Haruhi's hands seem to shake at the prospect. Hinata notices this, and her tone lightens up a tad to calm her down.

"Haruhi-chan... I was trained to handle far more dangerous, far more life-threatening situations since I could walk. Believe me when I say that I've suffered far worse than a stab wound or a punch.

"There was no way I could have gotten hurt, unlike Haruhi-chan, who is a lot more vulnerable than I am. I knew what I was doing when I jumped in to save those girls." And her intent stare hints that the brunette is just the same as _those girls_. "Which is a lot more than I can say for you, Haruhi-chan."

And with that, Hinata pivots on her foot to turn and walk away, presumably to wait in Nekozawa's vacation home after this whole mess blows over. She's stopped by a hand on her shoulder, and she looks up to Kyoya-sempai offering an unreadable look. They exchange another brief glance before the boy removes his hand, and the girl continues walking.

Not for the first time, he wonders what their relationship is, exactly.

Haruhi heaves a sigh, and turns to face Tamaki calmly enough to not yell at his face. "I apologize for causing trouble..." But her eyes say that she still doesn't understand what she has _done _to them. And Tamaki notices it, and he looks even more frustrated than before.

"You still don't..." He exhales shakily before renewing his glare. "Fine. Do whatever you want. I'm never talking to you again until you learn your mistake!" It's Tamaki's turn to leave for the vacation house as they watch his receding back. Haruhi still looks a bit irritated by the end of the conversation and everyone else doesn't bother to talk as they withhold their own opinions on the issue. He looks at the direction of the villa, wondering when this is going to be resolved.

He just wanted to have fun, damn it.

He senses a curious stare on his back as he turns to face the other person, and offers a pacifying smile. "Ne, I'm alright Takashi..."

—

The weather outside is a perfect reflection of the turmoil amongst the group. The previously bright and lovely weather from before is now cloudy, dark, and ominous. She can feel a storm nearing.

Right now, Hinata is huddled with the rest of the boys in her borrowed nightgown (she doesn't remember packing one before going on this trip...) as she observes their game, giggling silently to herself when Kyoya lands in the "12 years later, company goes bankrupt. Reduced to working as a janitor at a department store." and Honey places his game piece on the "In 10 years, your height will decrease by 2 cm." Kaoru takes over for Tamaki's turn and the six of them look at the spot his piece lands...

Huh. What a coincidence.

"Currently earned hatred from friend, massively depressed." Tamaki curls into a tighter ball within his corner after hearing that (really, the twins could be a little bit gentler when they say that). But it seems the impish pair is not done kicking him while he's down.

"President. Didn't you say you were going to take a long walk along the wave crashing shore with Haruhi?"

"You even brought a white dress. Why don't you just hurry up and go?" Oh, they know all too well why that's not happening any time soon.

"It seems Tamaki-kun likes white dresses." The blond isn't prepared for the cloak-clad third year to creep up his shoulder, cat puppet in hand. He almost has a heart attack right then and there.

"What the hell is up with this haunted mansion?! And what the hell is up with this subtly unpleasant life game with all these oddly realistic predictions?!" Nekozawa is back playing with Honey and Mori—technically, the latter is just sitting in a chair behind the short blond as he watches over him—and is sitting next to Hinata on the couch. To everyone's surprise, the girl isn't at all bothered by the black-swaddled boy and is even chuckling at his hand puppet ("Ne, what's his name?""Why, it's Beelzenef, Hyuuga-chan.").

Hinata is actually enjoying the company of the kind third year. Konoha is filled with people that are far more unusual and/or creepy than Nekozawa, who is merely a misunderstood boy that doesn't know how to interact with others. The blond-in-disguise ("Is your hair blond? I can see some of your bangs...""A-Ah, it is blond. But, I'm afraid I need to refrain from such... brightness to preserve my life." She just giggles.) reminds her of her friend Shino, the bug enthusiast and resident "creep" of the village. His affinity with insects tends to drive people away, not to mention his attire of a high-collared jacket and goggles to cover most of his face, and Hinata is sad that they miss out on such a considerate friend.

Kyoya pays no mind to the weird duo's interaction—it's not _his _business whoever Hinata talks to, nope; she's proven to handle herself quite well, so there's no point in thinking about how _close _the bluenette and the "noiret" are being, no point at all—as he scolds the blond, "It would be rude to refuse such a rare invitation. Don't you think so? But honestly...

"It's really burdensome that it's all free." Tamaki clenches his teeth at the _real _reason they're here. _'That greedy bastard!'_

Hinata watches as Umehito—he stammers a little when she asks if she can call him by his first name, and for him to do the same for her, but allows her because he can't find it in him to refuse his new friend—approaches the distraught second year again with his hood down and the ebony locks to cover his face. Suddenly, the above chandelier emits bright light, surprising everyone and forcing the photo-phobic boy to hide in some other corner (Hinata will have to see if he's okay later).

From the ajar double doors emerges Haruhi in a cute nightgown, explaining that she went to the basement to find the main breaker, but she doesn't notice that the light isn't why the group is gawking at her appearance. Hikaru finally breaks out of his shock to mention her clothes, and the honor student surmises her father repacked the girlish clothes in her suitcase. The boys take a few more seconds to eyeball her dress, before silently saluting the older Fujioka for his wonderful actions.

* * *

><p>Haruhi knows it's a bit immature. But she doesn't care anyway.<p>

_Haruhi and Hinata continue clam hunting, the former because it looks so appetizing and the latter because she's rarely seen anything like this, what with being in a forest village. They're near the Cat Rock picking up another shell when they hear an unfamiliar, _male _voice talking to the girls on the cliff. The pair looks up to see three guys bothering the customers, obviously older because of the alcohol they're holding. When they reach their destination, Haruhi doesn't think twice about emptying the contents of her bucket on the trespassers._

She stabs a crab claw on the table.

_"Let her go. She doesn't like it, so stop pestering her."_

_The intruders scowl at the new company (who's this kid with the matchstick arms?) and they notice the girl with long hair standing next to the brat, her arms crossed as she glowers. They grin lecherously. It _is _a nice bikini she's wearing, and that body..._

_"Hey, beauty, what do you say we ditch this dork and have some fun." One of them places a hand on her shoulder, and she coolly regards the action before placing a hand on his forearm. Hey, this might be turning out well..._

_"Thank you for the offer, but I'm going to have to decline." She lets go his arm, and then his arm slumps against his side. He gapes as he tries to raise it before he realizes what has happened._

_"Hey! I can't move my arm!" His buddies are shocked by the news and angrily stare at the bluenette._

She stabs the table again.

_"You bitch!" Hinata yells out a warning for the frightened girls and Haruhi to "Stand back!" before parrying the lunging boy with her right arm and pressing his shoulder with two fingers. Just like the previous boy, his arm lolls at his side, which gives the martial artist the perfect opportunity to kick his side and send him flying to the other side of the terrain. She steps back to avoid the swiping knife and grabs the wrist. Upon further inspection, she realizes it's the boy that initiated contact earlier._

_"Hmm, it seems like this is the first time you're using this." Her grip on his wrist forces him to cry out and let go of the blade, the weapon landing on her awaiting palm. She inspects it before she twirls it around her fingers. His eyes widen. "Do tell, did you think that just holding this would make you dangerous?"_

Another stab.

_She pivots on her toe and lands a chop to his neck, the unconscious body flopping on the ground. _

_The third guy manages to sneak up to the girls and grabs Haruhi by the collar of her shirt. The girls shout fearfully and whimper, and the noise is attracting more attention from those on the beach. "This is your fault!" He aims a fist for her face._

Stab.

_The fist doesn't even grace her face. Haruhi is dropped to the ground as the boy is pinned by the rock wall, his shirt being held up by a knife embedded into the wall. They all look to see Hinata's arm outstretched and lowering to her side. Tamaki is the first to run up to them yelling "Haruhi!" as they others follow closely behind. The twins release a relieved sigh when they see there's no harm done (to the _girls_, anyway) and the third years and Kyoya walk towards Hinata. They inquire if she's hurt but she just shakes her head. __Mori pats the top of her head as she blushes at the attention._

_But Tamaki still looks mad. Why?_

Stab!

"Hey you! Are you the twins or something?!" It looks like Tamaki has enough of her stabbing the table with empty claws. She averts her gaze.

"Didn't you say weren't going to talk to me anymore? And besides, you're going to burst my eardrums." Tamaki stays in his standing position with his hands spread on the table. He grumbles something, and she thinks she hears the words intentions and apologize, and yells that he's going to bed—and why's he telling her to go to bed, too, he doesn't control her.

A scary-looking butler bows, offering to show him the way to his room and the blond takes one look at the long, dark hallway before giving the puppy-dog eyes begging someone to go. Kyoya sighs before wiping his mouth with the cloth napkin, and stands up to join the scared-cay King, excusing himself from dinner. Kaoru mumbles something about over-inflated pride and Hikaru notes that Haruhi is going to get a stomach ache from all that crab, but she doesn't pay them any mind as she looks over sadly to Hinata.

"I should have learned some fighting moves from Hinata or something..."

There's a collective sigh. Hikaru sighs as he offers his opinion, "It's cool to be fearless and have a strong sense of justice, but... "

Kaoru picks up from where Hikaru leaves off, "But even we think you should apologize for reckless behavior like today."

Haruhi looks even more confused, and even a little morose. "Huh? But I didn't cause any harm to you guys." She looks down to her lap as she voices her thoughts, "I don't understand why sempai is getting so angry like that... but if it was because I was weak, then I apologize for that..." _'She's still not getting it.'_

Hinata takes Tamaki's vacant seat and inches closer, and places the younger's head on her shoulder. Haruhi tenses at the random action before she relaxes against the upperclassman's side—it's so comfortable and reminds her of something...

Like her mother.

"If you're worried about being weak, that's not why Tamaki-san and the rest of us were upset." She sighs as she runs her fingers through the soft brown locks—she bets her hair would be lovely if it were long. "We don't want you to apologize for weakness. We want you to apologize because you _worried _us."

The girl mouths "Worry?" to herself as Honey grabs her hands and stares up with a knowing gaze. "Apologize lots and lots to Tamaki, for making him so scared and worried." The idea that everyone's worried about her finally sinks in, and everyone sighs when she shyly says "I'm sorry" after realizing it. They encircle her with their arms in a large group hug, the center of the embrace squirming slightly. Kaoru peeks down and asks what's wrong.

"Nau... Nauseous... feels like I'm going to puke."

"I thought you were eating too much! Come on! Hurry!"

"Get a hold of yourself!"

"Fight, Mori-sempai!" The tall third year braces her tiny figure against his shoulder as he races to find a bathroom with everyone quick on his heels.

"What's wrong? What happened?!" Everybody stops to gawk at the newcomer. His blond hair is as radiant as the King's, and his kind blue eyes stare worriedly.

The twins ask "Who are you?" and Hinata's eyes widen as she realizes exactly who he is when a maid comes in carrying dark garments. The "foreigner" changes into his usual attire and asks the his previous question as Beelzenef waves at them.

Everyone quickly gets over their astonishment when they rush to find a room.

Only Hinata acknowledges the bespectacled boy sitting on the room's chair. Kyoya smirks slightly when her face flushes from his _lack _of proper attire.

—

When, and _only _when, she makes sure that no one is within her vicinity, she activates her Byakugan for the first time she's arrived in this new world of civilians.

It's like stretching sore muscles after being cramped in a small box for weeks; she's a bit out of practice after not using it for so long, but she's relieved that she can finally extend her sight. Everyone's chakra outline is very faint, but still palpable; and even though all of them are the traditional blue color, she can still distinguish each person based on the _feel _she has from each chakra source.

There are two blue outlines in the room three doors away and from her left. She knows that everyone (sans the twins) have separate accomodations; she focuses on just the bodies themselves and not the outline inside and she feels her heart clench.

Kyoya is on top of Haruhi. On his bed.

She deactivates her kekkai genkai and takes a deep breath. She walks over to the glass doors and opens them; to her right, there's a small table with two chairs facing across from each other, so she sits down to watch the sky. Not a star is in sight because of the gray clouds, and she knows that it will rain, and then eventually storm. There's an umbrella resting against a corner that she aligns with the hole in the center of the table and opens.

There. Now she doesn't have to worry about getting wet. When she put those worries to rest, other thoughts from before rise up to the forefront of her mind.

It's not his style to force himself on a girl, especially after previous events concerning said girl. The timing of his... actions is too off, and Hinata knows that whatever he does is planned carefully. If such actions were planned, that means he must see a benefit to trapping a girl in his room. But this isn't any girl, it's Haruhi.

Ah.

"Haruhi, as a girl, is especially defenseless against a boy in that dangerous situation. In that situation, you can't avoid the factors of gender."

"It seems you hit the nail on the head, Hinata-san."

It's drizzling now. At the balcony entrance stands Kyoya, still shirtless but with an article of clothing in his hand. She blushes at the pale chest—it's so lean and smooth-looking, and WHERE ARE HER THOUGHTS GOING—and her charge finally buttons up the shirt to cover his torso. He takes his place in the chair across from her and the two look out at the stormy sky. The first bolt of lightning strikes the earth, and the resounding boom of thunder accompanies it. The rain becomes harsher.

"Is Haruhi-chan alone in your room?"

"No. The idiot came in a few minutes ago, so that's when I took my leave to let them resolve their problems."

She brings her thigh up to her chest and rests her head against her knee. "Kyoya-san is very kind. To let Haruhi-chan learn her mistake and defend your friend." Kyoya pushes up his glasses, his hand covering his small smile.

"Funny. That's what Haruhi said."

"That's because she's good at reading other people."

"Does that apply to you, since you also arrived at the same conclusion?"

She hums a "Hmm," and shrugs her shoulders.

Another companionable silence follows before he clears his throat. She perks up a little to show she's listening. "I hate to sound prying, but I've been meaning to ask..." He pauses before steeling his resolve. "I've noticed a faint mark on the center of your chest. I caught a glimpse of it the other day at the Aqua Garden and have been curious about it."

She traces the aforementioned mark. It's barely there, an almost silver splotch in the dim lighting, and if he hadn't known beforehand, he would have never noticed the scarcely visible spot.

"Hmm... I think I was 12 when it happened, so it was about five years ago," she narrates. "It was a preliminary tournament, a test of sorts, and I had to fight someone far stronger than me." As the story continues, her voice becomes fainter and fainter to the point the noiret has to strain his ears to listen. "Neji-nii-san—he... it was a critical hit, close to a vital, and I went into cardiac arrest.

"According to an onlooker, I had about ten minutes to live." The _clap! _of thunder interrupts the story.

"Neji-nii-san?" He thought he had problems with his brothers but yeesh.

"Ah... Neji-nii-san was my cousin, but I considered him my brother." He doesn't point out the past tense since he's already asking her a lot of personal information. He notices that she notices his lack of further questioning and smiles gratefully.

"I hope I didn't touch upon a sensitive subject, Hinata-san."

"Not at all, Kyoya-san."

He rises from his chair, stating that Haruhi and Tamaki must have already made up since he left, and suggests asking the others to check up on them. Hinata nods in agreement, and she takes his offered hand to move from her semi-curled position. Her curled up leg is numb from staying in that position for so long, causing her to stumble and plant her face on his chest as the "Cool" host steadies her by placing his arms around her shoulders. They teeter backwards an iota ere the taller of the two regains his footing. Unconsciously, her hands grip his shirt.

He watches as her face turns an amusing shade of crimson from their status, but neither one make a move to release the other.

The flustered girl mumbles a "Haruhi-chan and Tamaki-san" and he remembers the original reason they stood up. He nods in understanding before raising his hands from her shoulders and stepping back to see if she can stand firmly. When she doesn't stagger, the pair leave the balcony in search of the other hosts.

It's time to check on the idiot duo.

* * *

><p>"H-H-Hinata-sempai!" It's another day at the host club and everything's back to normal. Hinata is sitting away from the hosts, sipping on her tea as she focuses on her assignment (no ninja has ever had to worry about world history outside of the Hidden Villages!), and she looks up to the trio of blushing girls. She tilts her head inquisitively with a small smile to her underclassmen.<p>

"Yes, Shimizu-san?" The girl blushes even more. She remembers her name!

"I-I-I just wanted to thank you for saving us at the beach!" The two girls behind her nod in concurrence.

"Y-You were s-so cool, sempai!"

"I think I fell in love!"

Hinata sputters at the last comment. It's loud enough to garner everyone's attention to her side of the room. "W-Well," she starts off as she composes herself—it's not everyday a girl tells her she fell in love with her! "I'm glad that you three were alright. It wouldn't sit well with me if any of you were harmed." At this, the girls swoon, and the bluenette's blush darkens.

"Oh, Hinata-sempai~!"

From the couches, the twins raise their eyebrows. "Huh. A girl, who's very obviously female, is wooing other girls."

"Who would have thought?"

"But Nata-chan is a very sweet person~! Of course other people would notice, right Takashi?"

"Ah."

"Hinata-sempai does have that aura around her that attracts others, like Nekozawa-sempai."

"That's right, they were totally buddy-buddy that night!"

"Hinata-sempai is very caring."

"Hey Kyoya, what do you think about this?"

"Hmm... I'll think about it."

* * *

><p>Am I putting in a little UmehitoxHinata (ooh, the ship name UmeHinaHitoHina/UmeNata is so cute~!) as well as the HoneyxHinata and KyoyaxHinata? Yes. Is this going to affect the main KyoyaxHinata? Nope; KyoHina all the way for this story, but if someone's curious enough, I'd be happy to make a small one-shot about the other two pairings outside of this story. Really, Hinata is just so easy to pair with everyone, it's hard for me to restrain myself!

I hope you enjoyed this one. I enjoyed writing it, at least.

Ohoho, the Lobelia Girls are next in canon. Oh, boy!

Off to do more writing,  
>—The Doctor<p> 


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